The Things You Do for Love
by MissKT
Summary: Cagalli has to find a way to be with Athrun. With the help of her friends from the war, see what lengths she goes through to show her love. AC,KL, LunaxRey, ShinnXStellar
1. The Beginning

Note: Hey everyone! This is my new fic! Please read and review. I would really appreciate it. Tell me what you think. It takes place after the war in Destiny so don't get confused. There will be Romance, drama (maybe), and some humor (even though I doubt I am funny). So without further ado…enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny

Cagalli Yula Attha, princess of Orb, was having a hectic day. Yes, hectic was the best word to describe it. First of all, she woke up late and had to rush to her meeting while still brushing her blond hair and putting her shoes on. Then, once she made it to the meeting room, she ungracefully tripped because her shoes weren't tied. Getting up, she acted like any other dignified person and pretended that it never happened.

After a stressing meeting with much talking but no progress, she rushed out of the room hoping to get back to her mansion before Athrun got back with her friends. Yes, the war was over and had been for about two years. Things were looking up and Cagalli decided to invite people over to stay for and while and celebrate a year of peace since the war. They all agreed to stay for the whole summer. Cagalli couldn't be happier.

Everything seemed to be perfect. Kira and Lacus were happily engaged and they sometimes helped out Cagalli when advice was needed on politics or anything in general. Kira became a professor and also an engineer. Lacus was happy to look after the orphaned children, but she still was somewhat involved in politics.

Cagalli was very happy for her _little _brother. He was finally out of depression. _Good for him. It's about time he moved on. _

Moving on from Kira and Lacus, the blonde princess thought of her newer friends, the Hawke sisters. Near the end of the war, she, along with Athrun and Kira, had teamed up with them and the Minerva crew to end the war. Over that time, she had gotten close with Lunamaria, the older Hawke sister. At first, Cagalli was a bit jealous because it seemed as if she was flirting with Athrun, but then later she found out that Luna was outgoing and friendly by nature and that the only thing between the two was a close friendship. Anyways, it's not as if it mattered. Luna and Rey had a steady relationship going on for a year and it look as if nothing could tear them apart. Interesting, considering that the silent Phantom Zaku pilot didn't have much in common with the cheerful Lunamaria. _I guess opposites attract_

_The Hawkes…_

Well, Luna and Meyrin lived in an apartment not far from the University of Orb. They had decided to continue their education after the war. Meyrin majored in engineering and computer sciences and often visited Kira and asked for help on her projects. She was shy at first and always dragged Luna to go with her, but as time went by, she got comfortable and made friends. Although the younger Hawke was very busy with studying, she always had time to annoy Rey and Shinn. They teased her by naming her a "pig tailed nuisance." Luna studied law and Cagalli thought she would be a great lawyer, considering all the bickering she did with Rey and Shinn.

_Shinn Asuka…_

Shinn decided to live in Orb with his girlfriend, Stellar. They lived with happily with Stellar studying marine biology and dance (something that Cagalli would never do or understand), and Shinn stayed in the Zaft military stationed in Orb. There were no more hostilities between the two so Shinn just trained, recruited, and tested out new mobile suits. The military was there to keep the peace and maintain relations. Overall, Cagalli saw Shinn and Stellar a lot more.

_Rey Za Burrel…_

There wasn't much to say about him because Cagalli never really talked to him much. He was quieter than the rest and when he spoke, it was often well thought out. She could tell he was knowledgeable. The only time Cagalli saw him not be serious was when he was with Luna and even then he still had a cool demeanor. Rey, like Shinn, stayed in the military and worked along side with him. Cagalli heard that he was a good piano player and gave lessons to children.

By now, Cagalli was five minutes away from her mansion. She let her thoughts wonder to her blue-haired body guard whom she cared the most for.

_Athrun Zala…_

Cagalli knew she was blushing and internally cursed at the fact that he could make her so flustered. What was it that that made her so affected by Athrun? She knew the answer to that. It was his calm and gentle nature. His patience and understanding balanced with her temper and hot headed personality. Cagalli knew that she cared deeply for him, heck she probably loved him but the stubborn streak in her wouldn't let herself admit it. _You are one big loser Cagalli. You can't even tell him how you feel… _

Although they had a very close relationship and had gone through a lot together, they were still unofficial. Even though she received the ring, she didn't know what was to happen next. After the war, they had both been so busy that they never got to discuss it. They weren't even considered boyfriend and girlfriend. Thins made Cagalli want to bang her face into the wall. She had many chances to tell Athrun how she felt. She was just too stubborn to take them. Sighing she thought of the time when…

_**Flashback**_

Cagalli walked around in her gardens. It was a nice day and she had a break from her meetings and decided to get some fresh air. It was several months after the war and things looked up. Smiling happily she walked towards a bench that was next to the fountain. All of a sudden, a part of a bush snagged her shirt and pulled her back. Growling in frustration she tried to pull it off but no success. She tugged at it few more times and only succeeded in shaking the bush and causing some leaves to fall off. _Grrrr! If I don't get this stupid thing off my shirt I'm gonna cut the whole shrub off!_

Still caught up in her internal ranting, she didn't notice a presence behind her until she heard quiet laugher. Turning around and looking like a deer caught in the headlights she looked to see who had witnessed her in an embarrassing moment.

She saw Athrun standing there with a smile on his face.

"Athrun! Help!" she cried desperately while flailing her arms around.

Realizing how silly she must have looked, she immediately stopped and blushed.

"Er…I mean…" She was cut off when Athrun came closer, causing her to blush even more, and gently untangled her shirt from the offending bush.

"Thanks." She mumbled still embarrassed.

He laughed some more and took her hand not noticing or ignoring her "Epp!" of surprise.

He led her to the bench and they sat down together with her hand still in his.

"It's a nice day out. I've noticed you've been stressed lately. Maybe you should take the rest of the day off." Athrun said.

_That's Athrun for you…caring as usual._

Cagalli objected. "I can't Athrun. I have important things to look over. It's a priority." She sighed and watched a butterfly float by.

"One day won't make a difference. Plus your health is more important than some treaty or paperwork. I worry about you Cagalli." His gentle voice sounded.

Cagalli was speechless and blushing like a tomato. _Geez! If I stay near him my face will permanently be red! Get a hold of yourself Cagalli! _

"Um…I guess I could take off…"

"Great!" he said excitedly and smiling widely. Cagalli could only stare. "How about this? Every afternoon we can spend some time together and you can relax. It'll help revive you from your stress."

Cagalli felt herself smile as well. "Ok Athrun…but if we're gonna do stuff…it has to be stuff I want to do."

Athrun coughed nervously at her smirk. "Um…what do you want to do?"

"I want you to buy me ice cream and candy and there's this really cool teddy bear at the store that I want!" Cagalli said excitedly while counting the items off on her fingers.

Athrun looked puzzled. "Y-you…want a …_teddy bear!_"

Cagalli nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! It was really cool. It's a soldier version complete with a uniform, combat boots, binoculars, and toy gun!"

Athrun sweat dropped. "Figures…" he mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?" Cagalli asked.

"Ahh..nothing! What are we waiting for! Let's go!" and with that they walked hand in hand to get Cagalli her things.

Thirty minutes later…

"Thanks Athrun!" Cagalli said happily while licking her ice cream cone.

They two walked to a park and sat down with Cagalli holding a bag full of her favorite candy and Athrun with the combat teddy bear. They sat there contently eating their treats. When they were finished Athrun took her hand again and cleared his throat nervously.

"Uh…Cagalli…I think we should talk about us." He said while scratching his head.

Cagalli was hesitant. She knew what was coming.

"Ok…"

"Where do we stand? You know I lo-like you a lot and would do anything for you. When I gave you that ring, it was a promise to always protect and be with you…unless you don't want me too…" He trailed off slightly.

_Oh God…what do I say? _

This wasn't the first time Athrun wanted their relationship to progress. She knew he wanted to be her boyfriend and have some stability in their relationship but truth to be told, she was scared. Yes, Cagalli Yula Attha was scared of a relationship with Athrun. Why? Well it's simple. It was because she didn't want things to change between them. She loved how they were already. But in her heart, she knew that she would be the happiest person ever if she was with Athrun. Too bad her stubbornness only wanted to be friends. What was wrong with her? Was she not ready for a relationship? Maybe…or was it something else? Was she scared of how much of an affect he had on her? Yes definitely. He didn't realize how much she loved him and how she would try to do anything for him like he said to her.

"Listen Athrun…" she said quietly, not looking him in the eyes. "I think we should remain friends for the time being. I really appreciate what you do for me…but I don't think I'm ready… um….yeah" she finished lamely.

It was silent for a few minutes.

"Ok…I understand. I mean we can stay friends. Don't worry about it, but Cagalli, I will always be there for you. I guess if friendship is all we will have, it will be good enough for me."

Cagalli looked at him and saw that he had a small smile on his face but his eyes reflected hurt and disappointment. He got up and offered her his hand. She took it and internally scolded herself (she did this often). She had hurt the person she loved. _What a day…_

_**End of Flashback…**_

Cagalli sighed at that memory and looked out the window. It had been almost a year since that day and she tried not to think of what she lost that day. Sure, she and Athrun had become closer as friends and it was a wonder why he stayed with her. But Cagalli remembered her promise. She often wondered if he was happy. _I want to make him happy…_

The limo pulled up her driveway. Cagalli got out and was greeted by a cheerfully excited and very familiar voice.

"Cagalli!"

She turned and she smiled widely. Standing there waving frantically was Luna, who had screamed the greeting, along with Meyrin who smiled brightly. Next to them was Rey who had his arm around Luna's waist, an amused smile on his face at the sight of his girlfriend becoming hyper. Then stood Kira and Lacus, arm in arm with flowers. Shinn and Stellar were not far. Shinn waved a little and made a face while Stellar stared curiously at the scene. Shy as usual she held Shinn's hand. Finally, Cagalli turned her attention to Athrun who emerged from the back after telling the maids where to put the luggage. He smiled gently and walked up to her.

"Hello princess." He said teasingly. "How was your day?"

"Don't call me that _Alex."_ She retaliated while sticking out her tongue. She giggled at his code name. "My day was very hectic no thanks to you! You weren't there to help me!" She said with a wink.

Athrun laughed and took her hand.

"Come on. Let's go to our friends."

…**..end of chapter…**

Note: Well? How did I do? This is mainly an Athrun and Cagalli fic but there will be other pairings. Look forward to the next chapter where Cagalli interacts with her friends. Until then, see ya!


	2. Girl Talk

Note: Hey again! Thanks for the reviews from the last chapter! I appreciate it. Well, just as a side note, everyone in this story gets along and are friends…even though I know some are enemies so far in the series…like Shinn and Stellar/Kira. And sorry if people act OCC. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam seed/Destiny

Cagalli waited in the main parlor for her friends who where putting their stuff away and getting adjusted. She hadn't felt this happy in ages. After getting hugged by everyone and surprisingly even Rey. He was about to shake her hand formally but Luna shoved her elbow into his gut, gave him a look, which caused him to stiffly hug her and pat her on the back. This made Cagalli giggle. Those two were very interesting. Luna would always be bubbly and hyper while Rey was contemplative and silent. But you could tell that two were very comfortable around each other and got along well. Cagalli knew Rey was very protective of Luna, even if Luna herself didn't know.

Cagalli sighed and took a sip of her drink. What she would give to be so happy and committed with Athrun. She was just too shy to start anything after that day when she told him she wanted to remain friends.

"Cagalli? You in there? You seem spaced out." Athrun's voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Huh? Oh! Hi Athrun." Cagalli said smiling up at him.

Athrun sweat dropped. "I've been calling you for the past 5 minutes…"

"Really?" Cagalli said puzzled. "Well, it's not my fault! You probably weren't talking loud enough…" _Just wonderful Cagalli…get defensive._

Athrun just smiled knowingly and sat down next to her. Cagalli relaxed and laid back on the couch with her eyes closed. She played with the ring that Athrun gave her. She had a habit of doing this when she was thinking or daydreaming. It reminded her that Athrun cared.

"Your schedule's cleared for today so we can all spend time together." Athrun said while looking at Cagalli's relaxed expression. Once again he was reminded how pretty she was especially when she wasn't yelling or stressed. _She still wears the ring I got her…_

Athrun was a very patient person. Well, more patient than Cagalli at least. He loved her. It was obvious to everyone too…everyone except the blonde, hot tempered princess. He loved how she could act so childish one moment and then serious and determined the next. Cagalli was a very complex girl. He thought she was adorable in every way, especially when she got angry. Her cheeks would puff up and she would turn red-faced. Sometimes he would deliberately get her angry just to see her reaction.

Athrun wanted a relationship with Cagalli, there was no doubt about it. But he knew that she was very shy when it came to anything romantic. The many times she blushed was enough evidence of that. True, he was hurt when she turned him down that day in the park and suggested that they stayed friends. But he understood that she did care about him. He wasn't sure if it was love, although he hoped it was. There was proof that she cared because she still wore the ring. _I guess I'll just have to wait…_

His thoughts were interrupted when Shinn and Stellar entered the room. Athrun smiled a bit and motioned for them to sit. He looked at the dark-haired Impulse pilot. During the war, Athrun had made sure to guide and watch over Shinn because heaven knows, he needed it. He had come to terms with his family's death and even realized that Kira and Cagalli weren't at fault. Shinn had matured greatly over the past few years and they had a close friendship. Stellar also helped in his growth as a person. Sure, he was still immature sometimes and liked to bicker a lot, especially with Cagalli. They argued like little kids. Luna would sometimes have to give him a good pinch to get him to stop, but Athrun would say that that part of Shinn's personality made him who he was and he wouldn't change it.

"Hey! Attha! Wake up! We all know you're lazy but you gotta entertain us!" Shinn said jokingly.

"Why you little annoying—" Cagalli stood up.

"You have a lovely house." came Stellar's quiet and serene voice.

Athrun laughed quietly. Stellar had a way of keeping the peace better than anyone he had ever seen. She was great at changing the subject when needed and keeping Shinn in line.

Cagalli stopped and blinked, all anger gone. "Er..Thanks. It was designed with a-"

She was cut off when she heard loud voices approaching. In came a miffed Meyrin who stomped her way into the room and sat down next to Stellar, pouting. Not long after, Luna came in sighing with a stern look on her face with Rey right next to her. Kira and Lacus followed, both laughing nervously and scratching their heads.

"What's the matter?"

"Luna is the matter! Grrr! She's such a big butthead…mumble mumble…can't believe her…mumble mumble..so mean" Meyrin said pouting even more and slouching in her seat.

"Um…ok…" Cagalli replied hesitantly.

"She's acting immature again." Luna said with a sigh. "She wanted to go on a date tonight, but I told her she can't and _she knows she can't _because we should all spend today together."

"But Luna, I can still spend the day with you guys and go on the date!" Meyrin said looking at Luna with puppy dog eyes, her pig tails adding to the effect.

"You don't want to spend time with us, Meyrin?" Lacus asked smiling sadly her blue eyes shimmering with tears. _Eh? Where'd they come from? _

"Um...er..of course I do! It's just that…"

"It's ok if you don't…I mean I guess we aren't just important enough." Kira added looking down sadly. Anyone could tell he was trying to hold in his laugher. Anyone but Meyrin who was stuttering and looking panicked. _Good acting skills…_

Athrun watched the scene trying not to laugh at Meyrin.

"No! I'll stay! I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings! I'll just…cancel." She trailed off looking defeated.

Luna mouthed a thank you and exaggerated it with a bow to Lacus and Kira behind Meyrin's back. They just smiled and Lacus winked.

"Well, there's nothing important planned today but tomorrow is a welcoming banquet for the representative from the nation of Rutherland (AN: I made that up…spur of the moment .). The representative is supposed to stay here for a while as well and maintain relations." Cagalli said and everyone nodded in understanding. After the war, it was very important to keep on good terms with every nation.

"Say…how about you let us girls talk and catch up?" Luna asked the guys smiling. The guys looked at each other and shrugged. They got up and decided to go and do whatever boys do.

"Yeah…I don't think you wanna be present for their _girl talk._" Shinn whispered to Kira and Rey. Both nodded and quickened their pace out of the room.

Once they were gone, Luna turned around and looked straight at Cagalli with a mischievous grin on her face. _I don't like where this is going…_

Cagalli laughed nervously and scratched her head.

"So…..hehe…um.."

"How has everyone been?" Lacus said saving Cagalli from Luna.

Meyrin shrugged and said, "I've been ok. Classes are really hard but you know, Kira is always a great help. I mean I understand more than most of my class, but I can't compare to Kira."

Lacus laughed at this. Her melodic voice filled with happiness. "Yes, he's very happy to help you, even if it takes you a while to get some problems."

Meyrin blushed in embarrassment. She knew what Lacus was talking about. There was a time when Meyrin couldn't understand an advanced program, even with her training from Zaft, and she stayed the whole day trying to figure it out. When she finally did, with lots of help from Kira, she was half asleep and very grouchy.

"What about you, Stellar?" Cagalli asked curiously.

Stellar cocked her head to the side and answered, "Well, nothing much has happened. I got to go scuba diving the other day to observe ocean life. I even convinced Shinn to go with me. He said I should have borrowed Auel's Gundam so we wouldn't have to get wet." She giggled at her boyfriend's thinking.

Cagalli laughed. "Geez…Shinn really is lazy."

_Well…I'm one to talk. _ Cagalli thought of all the times she slept in and Athrun had to wake her up by dumping cold water on her. That resulted in her chasing Athrun around the house until she realized she was later than before. _At least it keeps me in shape._

Luna laughed. "Well, Miss Lacus!" she said jokingly. "Why don't you tell us about how you and Mr. Yamato are fairing"

"Ohh! Stellar! Have you seen her engagement ring?" Meyrin asked the blonde excitedly while grabbing Lacus's hand.

It was a platinum band with a diamond center and sapphire petals surrounding it. Cagalli looked at her own ring. She felt an uncomfortable feeling in her stomach every time someone mentioned Lacus's engagement ring. It reminded her that her own ring wasn't one.

"I've been doing well. The supporters of the Clyne Faction update me periodically. Everything seems to be ok in the PLANTs. Well, aside from politics and such, the children are growing and always fun to play with. I left Haro with them."

Cagalli gave silent prayer of relief. That annoying pink mechanical ball made her want to bang her head against the wall repeatedly with its annoying voice and bright pinkness. _What was Athrun thinking! How can Kira stand it!_

"The wedding is going to be in the fall. You'll all be bridesmaids of course."

Cagalli almost gagged at the word _bridesmaid._ Being a bridesmaid meant wearing a dress and knowing Lacus's taste in clothing, it was bound to be pink and frilly probably each with a matching Haro. Cagalli shuddered at the thought. _Ohh man! I'll have to talk to Lacus about that…_

"Everyone seems happily!" Luna said cheerfully. "Other than all the studying I have to do for law school, my life's great! Especially since Rey is always there for me…just like how Athrun is always there for you…" Luna trailed off looking expectantly at Cagalli.

"What are you implying" Cagalli asked dryly.

"What's going on with you and Athrun?" Meyrin asked for everyone.

Stellar looked with wide eyes and asked, "Cagalli, is that ring on your finger from him?"

"Eh..yeah.. but um..let's not talk about me!" Cagalli said blushing.

"Oh no you don't Cagalli Yula Attha! We are going to talk about you and Athrun and hopefully you'll actually have some improvement in your relationship because we all know that you want to be with him now fess up and say how you feel!" Luna said all in one breathe.

Cagalli shrank away from her. _Geez…no wonder she wants to be a lawyer…they always have to argue back…sheesh…_

Cagalli sighed and looked at her ring. "I…I'm tired of pushing him away. This past year I have tried to convince myself that I didn't need a romantic relationship with Athrun to be happy. I thought friendship was enough. But I see everyone around me and I realize that I'm not completely happy."

The others nodded in understanding.

"Cagalli…" Lacus said sympathetically. "How about we help you? I mean we have the whole summer and everyone knows that Athrun likes you."

Cagalli's eyes went wide. She didn't like where this was going. That meant four girls trying to make her do things she didn't want to do.

"That's a great idea!" Meyrin said. "Because we all know that you won't go for him if no one pushes you to."

Cagalli narrowed her eyes. "What's _that _supposed to mean…"

"Uh…what she means is that everyone needs a small nudge in the right direction." Luna said trying to calm Cagalli's rising annoyance.

"Cagalli, you have a right to be as happy as everyone here. The war is over…and you've made sure Orb as well as the other countries haven't fought or argued. I think you deserve more than anyone to be happy. Let us help you." Stellar said this with sincerity.

_Let them help me? _

Cagalli thought over their words and decided that getting Athrun back was more important than anything and she was willing to accept the help.

With a small smile she nodded. "I'll let you help me."

…**end of Chapter…**

Notes: This chapter was mainly for the background of the characters and also Cagalli accepting the help from her friends. Next chapter…see what the girls do to help Cagalli, even if she is extremely reluctant to follow.


	3. Craziness!

Note: Hello! Thanks for the reviews! They make me smile! Please read and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

It had been about five hours since the other four girls had made the promise to help Cagalli, who was at the moment standing on the balcony which connected to her study. Everyone had gotten tired and deiced to retire to their rooms. It was a beautiful night filled with shining stars and a cool breeze. Cagalli smiled and thought of the afternoon which turned out to be quite entertaining.

_**Flashback to earlier that day…**_

After the girls had met back up with the boys, they had all decided to go for a swim in her pool. Cagalli was really uncomfortable with the idea, considering she didn't like to show that much skin while wearing a tight _thing._ But the others had all been up for the idea so Cagalli agreed as well.

She stood in front of the mirror and looked at herself. She was wearing a lime green bikini top after much insisting from Luna and Meyrin who said she needed to "dazzle Athrun with her beauty." She agreed to wear the _thing_ only after they let her wear khaki shorts. Deciding to play it safe, she wrapped a towel around her.

She went to the pool and saw that everyone was already out. Stellar, who was in a baby blue strapless once-piece suit with yellow lining, was in the pool, having a water fight with Shinn. The Impulse pilot laughed loudly, picked up his girlfriend and threw her back into the water causing a loud splash.

"Hey watch it Shinn!" Luna said from her relaxed position on the side on the pool. She wore sunglasses and a red and pink bikini. Her body fit perfectly in it. "I'm trying to relax. If you keep splashing here I'll get we-"

She was cut off when Rey came up to her, hoisted her up on his shoulder and threw her in with a big splash, just as Shinn did to Stellar. Everyone laughed. Luna emerged sputtering out water and got out of the pool and chased Rey who laughed at his girlfriend's expense. When she finally caught up to him she ruffled his hair until it stuck up at all sides. It was a rather funny scene considering that Cagalli had never seen Rey's hair unkempt.

"She should have seen that one coming." Lacus remarked. She was sitting on the side of the pool, with her legs dangling in the water and a drink in her hand. She wore a lavender one-piece suit which tied around the neck and had a skirt attached to the bottom made of clear material. The pink-haired singer looked elegant as usual, her hair tied up in a pony tail. Kira wore orange trunks and was in the pool, next to where Lacus sat. He smiled at his fiancé as she got in the water next to him and he dived under. Seconds later, Lacus screamed and was dragged under only to come up laughing with Kira holding her.

"I think _you _should have seen _that _one coming too." Meyrin said happily from where she was in the pool. She was relaxing on an air filled tube, in an orange tankini (AE: Is that spelling right? You know the tank top bathing suits? Haha I don't know), with yellow polka dots on it and a matching skirt which wrapped around her hips.

Cagalli laughed and sat on a chair, wondering where Athrun was. Just then she felt someone site next to her. She looked over and could have sworn she blushed a deeper red than Luna's swim suit. There was Athrun, his chest bare, in blue trunks. _Oh my Gosh! I think I'm staring! Geez…how can he look that good! _

"Hey Cagalli." He said smiling brightly. "Aren't you going to take off your towel?"

"Er…um….maybe later…" Cagalli said uncomfortably adjusting the towel. She didn't know how she would look compared to all her friends, who were beautiful in their suits.

Just then a voice shouted, "Lose the towel!" Cagalli turned and glared at Luna, who was laughing and leaning on Rey's shoulder. He shook his head at her childish manner but still had a small smile on his face. She stuck her tongue out at him and winked. She looked expectantly at Cagalli.

Slowly, the blonde princess took a deep breath and unwrapped her towel, letting it drop to the floor watching Athrun's reaction.

His eyes grew wide and he stared. Cagalli started to feel even more uncomfortable and went to go pick up her towel but a hand help her wrist and stopped her.

"You look beautiful…don't cover yourself." Athrun said quietly.

Cagalli blushed and nodded. Then, she got an idea and looked at Athrun with a grin. He raised an eyebrow in question. She looked at the pool, where Shinn had his back to them, and he got the idea. Together they ran to the edge and jumped in right next to Shinn, scaring the daylights out of him, causing him to scream like a girl, for he was too distracted flirting with Stellar. All in all, it was a fun afternoon, with many water fights and lots of laughter.

_**End of Flashback…**_

A knock on her door sounded and she turned around to see Athrun enter with two cups of what looked like hot chocolate. Cagalli took once gratefully and smiled. Both leaned against the railing and stared at the night sky.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Cagalli asked after a while.

"Yes…it is." Athrun replied. Cagalli smiled and turned to look at Athrun.

"Athrun…can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"How do you know if someone is truly happy?" she asked while looking up at the stars. "Do you believe that to find happiness, one should wait for it…like it should happen because of destiny?"

Athrun thought for a moment as a gentle breeze came by, blowing his hair back. "No…I don't think people should always sit back and wait for happiness to come when they can get it for themselves. We control our own destiny…I mean…if we just sat back during the war, I'm sure we wouldn't have achieved peace." Athrun looked Cagalli in the eyes. "We pick our own paths to follow."

Cagalli looked back into his eyes and nodded. She leaned against the rail once more and enjoyed the night. _You're right Athrun. Don't worry…I will pick my own path. I won't just sit back and let you go…_

-

Elsewhere in the Attha Mansion…

Lacus brushed her hair as she got ready for bed. Kira was lying down and reading.

She approached the bed and slipped under the covers, while snuggling up to Kira. He kissed her forehead and put his book away.

"I wonder what this summer will be like." Lacus said quietly.

Kira looked at Lacus and smiled. "I think it's starting out nice. Everyone is relaxing after stressing so much. It's nice to take a break and spend time with friends."

Lacus nodded in agreement. She knew how much Cagalli was stressed with running her own country. Good thing Kisaka agreed to help run Orb, during the summer so Cagalli wouldn't be so busy all the time. He realized that the blonde princess deserved rest and couldn't be happier to oversee the country.

Lacus felt herself drift to sleep…_I'm so lucky that I have Kira. _Her last thought was about what they would do to help Cagalli. Smiling at the idea that formed in her head, she let sleep take over.

-

The next day dawned bright and sunny. Everyone got up early to enjoy the morning…everyone except a certain blonde princess, who was, at the moment, still under her covers, sleeping the morning away. A light knock came…no answer. A louder knock rang out, still no answer. Multiple pounding on the door shook the house.

"Cagalli! Wake up! The door's locked!" Meyrin shouted from the other side.

"How can she be sleeping when it's such a lovely morning?" Lacus's voice sounded out after.

After…a yawn was heard from Luna. "I would still be sleeping too! But _nooo!_ Meyrin had to jump on me."

"You wouldn't get up otherwise." Meyrin defended.

Just then, there was a lot of shuffling and a quiet "Excuse me." coming from Stellar. After some time, the door opened to show Stellar, with a hair pin in her hand. Meyrin looked happy and excited carrying a bag full of something. Lacus came in with a calm smile and opened the curtains, letting in a flood of sunshine. Luna was the only one, other than Cagalli, who was still in her pajamas. Her hair had yet to be combed but the Zaku pilot didn't seem to care. Her eyes were drooping and she kept yawning.

All four girls peered on the bed and saw the lump that was Cagalli. She pulled the cover over her head after Lacus opened the curtains.

"Cagalli! Get up. We need to get ready!" Lacus said while shaking her gently.

"It's noon already…" Stellar said poking her shoulder repeatedly.

"Cagalli! **CAGALLI!"** Meyrin shouted loudly, causing the other girls to wince and rub their ears…Still no response.

Luna, having felt annoyed at being woken as well, growled in frustration grabbed a pillow, and with a war cry (AE: haha this sounds like my other fic…ok sorry for going off topic), hit Cagalli, causing her to sit up from the bed.

"Oww!" Cagalli said rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Cagalli! You take forever to wake up! You didn't even budge when I screamed!" Meyrin said with exasperation.

Cagalli blinked at them curiously. She then reached up to her ears and took out…._earplugs! _

"What did you say?"

………all girls sweat dropped….

Luna was the first to break the silence. "Er…never mind…its time to get up. We need to get you ready for the banquet today…you know the one to welcome that one representative?"

Cagalli scratched her head in bewilderment. "Get ready…how hard could it be to get ready? The banquet isn't for another two hours. I could have slept an hour and a half and still made it!"

"Not with what we have planned for you." Stellar said with an innocent look on her face.

Cagalli's face faulted. "And _what _exactly do you have planned for me…" suspicion was laced in her words.

Laughing nervously, Lacus said, "Just go wash up. We'll wait for you. You too Luna…we can't have you half asleep."

The blonde and the red head both grumbled and they stalked in opposite directions, one going to the bathroom in the room, and the other going out down the hall to their guest room.

**Ten minutes later…**

Cagalli now emerged, hair combed and face washed. She sat on her bed with the four other girls around her. "So…what is the _plan_ for me?" she asked, eyes narrowing.

"Well…we thought it would be nice if you…you know…_dressed up_ for the banquet…so we thought we would take the liberty and _dress _you up." Lacus said smiling.

"…._What!"_ Cagalli's eyes blazed with fire. "What's wrong with what I normally wear? There's nothing wrong with my suit!"

"Well…actually yes there is. Cagalli…didn't you say you would let us help? I'm sure Athrun would love to see you all nice and dressed up." Meyrin said while winking.

"What should it matter…?" Cagalli grumbled. "If I know Athrun, he wouldn't care if I dressed in a potato sack."

"Well unfortunately, you don't have that honor today." Luna said getting up. "Now…tell us what you would prefer. We'll show you a lot of styles."

They sat Cagalli on the bed and looked through her wardrobe. The maids had made sure to buy clothes that were, in Cagalli's terms, _girly,_ just in case. Taking out a red skirt and white halter top, Luna held it up to Cagalli and the others.

Cagalli stuck her tongue out and pretended to gag. Luna sighed and put it back. Next, Meyrin came out holding a blue strapless dress, which hugged the body tightly. Cagalli shuddered and the others rolled their eyes.

"You have nice clothes here…if you aren't going to wear it…let me borrow it sometime." Meyrin said while looking at the selection for herself.

"Please do." Cagalli said eyeing a white pleated skirt with distaste, which was held by Stellar.

Lacus came out with a pink sundress and Cagalli tried to run out of the room screaming. In the end, the girls all decided that Cagalli wasn't going to cooperate in choosing an outfit, so they would have to decide together for her. They picked out a simple light green and white summer dress with thin straps. The top hugged her body and ended at her knees loosely, giving her room to move. It looked beautiful on the blonde princess.

"I'd say we did a good job." Lacus commented while Cagalli stood in front of her mirror. She didn't grumble or complain. This made the pink-haired girl smile. _Cagalli is still feminine even though she tries to hide it._

Next, Meyrin took out her make up kit. "Not too much." Luna warned.

Cagalli looked at it in horror and tried to run, but her white heels made it almost impossible. As a result, she just tripped onto the bed. "**_Ooof!"_**

**Five minutes later…**

"Let me **_go!_**" Cagalli screamed. At the moment, she was tied to a chair and Meyrin and Lacus were looking at possible colors for her eye shadow. Luna and Stellar, who were trained soldiers and able to "restrain" Cagalli, were debating about how to do her hair.

About half an hour later, the other girls cheered and congratulated themselves on their success.

There stood Cagalli Yula Attha in a light green summer dress and white heels. She wore clear lip gloss and a hint of eye shadow which matched her dress color. Her hair was parted (AE: like on Phase 14 of Destiny) and there was a white flower tucked on her ear.

"We are good." Luna said happily while giving Stellar a high-five.

"Well…I guess thanks…for helping me…" Cagalli said hesitantly. "Even though I didn't want it!" she added quickly after.

The others smiled and left to get ready themselves. When they were gone Cagalli touched her hair and looked her herself. She looked so different from her tom-boyish self. _I wonder what Athrun will think…_

…**_End of Chapter…_**

Note: I had fun writing this chapter. Please review! I love to hear what you guys think. Oh and I'm willing to listen to any suggestions about how the story could go. I'm always happy to hear more ideas…but I'm not guaranteeing that I'll write about it. I'll try to update more, later. Until then, bye for now!


	4. The Banquet

Note: Hey there! Thanks a bunch for the reviews! Here's another chapter. Have fun reading!

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.

Cagalli walked out into her vast gardens with Kira and Lacus where the banquet was being held. There were a bunch of round tables set up for the guests. Cagalli felt self conscious and kept looking around nervously.

"Calm down, Cagalli. You look fine." Kira said sensing her apprehension.

"Easy for you to say! You aren't wearing a _dress _and _heels_ in front of all these important people of Orb!" Cagalli hissed while stumbling a bit. She grabbed only Kira's arm to steady herself. _Man! These heels are a pain! _

Lacus laughed happily. "Cagalli don't worry. Remember, you're an important person of Orb as well and everyone still knows how tough you are so, don't stress."

She kept mumbling until they reached the table where Luna, Rey, and Meyrin sat. At the moment, Luna was bickering with Rey.

"Stop teasing me! So I accidentally knocked over the pitcher of water sending it all over a guest! I didn't mean it!" She turned away and ignored him with a cute pout on her face. Her face, red with anger, matched her red dress.

Rey sighed and grabbed her arm. "Lunamaria….you know there is no reason to fight over this. All I said was that you are clumsy…" This caused Luna to fume even more.

Cagalli watched the scene with amusement, all her worries about her dress gone. She sat down next to Kira and Lacus.

"Grrrr! Well _sorry _Mr. Za Burrel!" (AE: is Za a part of his last name? I'm so confused! . ). "Just because I'm not that coordinated! Or shoot that well in target practice! Or run as fast…or-" By now her voice had gotten louder and she kept ranting about what she wasn't good at.

Cagalli took a sip of her drink. _I wonder how Rey will calm her this time. _

Rey smiled slightly. By now, Luna stood up to march off, but he grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him, causing her to trip. "Gah!" Luna screamed.

_She is clumsy… _Cagalli thought with a snicker. Luna landed in Rey's arms and was about to scream some more but her words were silences when Rey kissed her right on the lips.

Meyrin and Lacus giggled, while Kira rolled his eyes. Cagalli laughed at Luna's dazed expression when he let her go. Her mouth gapped like a fish and she blushed. Rey laughed quietly and helped her sit down. Luna recovered from her shock, pouted a bit, and leaned on his shoulder.

"Geez Rey, you're so mean." She said in a small voice. She closed her eyes and relaxed as Rey laughed again.

Cagalli smiled and got up to go talk to her guests. She stopped and greeted a few of Orb's councilmen (AE: are they councilmen? I don't really know how Orb's government is set up. Correct me if I'm wrong!). She saw Kisaka and waved. He came up to her.

"My, Cagalli…you truly look like a princess." He mock bowed and Cagalli punched him playfully in the shoulder.

"Have you seen Athrun?" Cagalli asked looking around. Just then she spotted her favorite blue-haired coordinator with his back to her and bid a hasty good-bye to Kisaka. She quickly walked towards him, but stopped short when she saw who was with him.

A girl about her age, with dark purple hair which reached to her mid back, was with Athrun smiling seductively! She wore a sophisticated dark purple and black business suit with a skirt. A very short skirt, might Cagalli add. Sure, she was pretty, even beautiful and she gave an exotic aura. Cagalli felt her jealousy boil up when the girl "innocently" brushed up against Athrun. _Who does she think she is? _

Letting her temper get the better of her, she stomped over to Athrun, who was scratching his head and looking around. Cagalli recognized this trait in Athrun. He did this whenever he was nervous. _At least he looks uncomfortable. _

Clearing her throat loudly causing Athrun to whirl around, Cagalli put on a strained smile. "Hello Athrun. May I ask who you are talking with?"

Athrun stared at Cagalli. She was beautiful! She looked like an angel…a very mad angel…but still an angel. He had been looking for her but was cut off when the representative from Rutherland came up to him and introduced herself. He was starting to feel uncomfortable because she kept smiling in a weird way at him. He was going to keep looking for Cagalli but the girl kept talking.

"Cagalli! There you are! I was looking for you. Where have you been?" Athrun was cut off by the girl.

"Hello Representative Attha. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Isabel Chapa, the representative of Rutherland. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The dark purpled haired girl stepped forward to shake hands. She had a glint in her eyes. The tone of voice she used was as if she thought herself better than Cagalli. _She thinks she's superior!_

Cagalli smiled politely, but it was forced. She shook her hand and noticed that Isabel's grip was rather tight. "How do you like Orb, Miss Chapa?" Cagalli asked remembering what Lacus told her to say to be polite.

"Ohh it is a beautiful place, although I think I prefer Rutherland better. Nevertheless, I think I will enjoy my stay here." She said the last sentence while eyeing Athrun.

_Grrr! Why is she looking at him like that! _Athrun seemed to notice the tension in the air and laughed nervously.

"Cagalli, do you want to go and get a drink together?" He asked, but Isabel grabbed onto his arm, a small pout on her face.

"But Mr. Zala, I need someone to show me where my room is and also maybe to give me a tour of the grounds." She smiled up at him cattily.

Cagalli felt a pain of jealousy shoot through her at the way Isabel had her arm locked with Athrun's. She felt herself scowl. Putting on a mask of indifference, she turned to the other two and said in a businesslike voice, "Yes, someone will have to show you where you are staying. If you excuse me, I will leave you two alone." And with that she marched off.

Athrun stood there, eyes wide. _What did I do?_

-

Luna was leaning back in her chair at the table. Why you might ask was she leaning back? Well, it's quite simple really. She was trying to get a better look at Cagalli, Athrun, and the representative's conversation but was blocked by a rather _large_ women sitting at the table next to them. To top it off, the woman had a rather _frilly_ hat on.

She growled in frustration and leaned back on even further. _I can see Athrun now! If I just lean back a bit more… I'll be able to see Cagalli too…_

"Um...Luna?" Shinn asked uncertainly from his side opposite her of the table.

"Not now Shinn!" she hissed back. _She could see Cagalli's arm now…just a little more…_

"It's just that…if you lean back anymore…" Shinn continued.

"Shhh! I'm trying to see! Why do you have to bother me so- **_oooof!_**" She was cut off when the chair leaned back completely causing her to tip onto the ground.

Rey sighed and squatted down next to his fallen girlfriend. He peered down at her. "You should have listened."

She heard Stellar's giggle and Shinn's exasperated sigh. "Quiet you…" she mumbled, still in the same position on the floor.

-

Meyrin was having a blast. There was good weather, good food, and a good selection of _boys. _Now, don't get me wrong, Meyrin wasn't some kind of slut or anything, it was just that she didn't have a steady boyfriend, like Luna or Stellar. She just hadn't found the right person yet.

So at the moment, the red head was talking to an Orb councilman. He was only a few years older than her, looked really good, and had a great personality. _This is too good to be true! _

Smiling brightly, she said, "So, Mr. Daniels, if you aren't busy later, would you like to, you know, spend some time together?" _Good choice of words! Now, all he has to say is he would love to!"_

"I would love to go." Came the reply. _Score! Now everything's perfect. Go me!_ She felt like cheering in victory, but resisted the temptation.

"I'll ask my girlfriend if she's up to it. Oh look, there she is now."

Meyrin felt her smile fade from her face. She paled a bit and sighed. She felt like whining and throwing a tantrum by the bush in the corner. _What? I can't believe this! _

Still internally yelling at the unfairness of the world, she left the guy with the excuse that she had to go see someone.

"Why do all the good ones have to be taken." She grumbled.

To her left, she heard a giggle. "Nice try Meyrin."

"Lacus! Don't laugh! I was almost there!"

"It's ok. There are plenty of other guys." Stellar, who was standing next to Lacus said in hopes of cheering the girl up.

"Easy for you two to say! You're engaged! That's practically saying Kira is bound to you for life! And we all know that Shinn can't be without you for more than a couple hours!" Meyrin said while pointing an accusing finger at her friends.

The other two back up slowly from the advancing Meyrin who was looking for something, to take her anger out on. That something being them.

"Now…now Meyrin…don't get mad…I'm sure you'll find that er...special someone." Lacus said nervously while backing away and almost stumbling on a rock. Stellar was looking around for Shinn, who would save her from Meyrin's wrath.

She spotted her messy-haired boyfriend by Luna and Rey. Saying a hasty good-bye to the approaching Meyrin, and a quiet "good luck" to Lacus, the blonde girl proceeded to run like the wind to Shinn. She heard Lacus's yell of protest behind her. "Don't leave me alone!"

Skidding to a stop she quickly ran behind a curious Shinn and peered over his shoulder at the scene which she just left. _Good…I'm safe. Her attention is directed towards Lacus. _

"What's going on, Stellar?" Shinn asked with a puzzled expression.

Stellar looked at Shinn's unbearably cute expression, giggled, and kissed him on the cheek. "Nothing, now that I'm with you."

Shinn blushed at her words and smiled brightly. Stellar held his hand and smiled back. _He looks like a kid! Too cute._

_-_

Kira was minding his own business, sitting on the grass. He could see the people at the banquet, which were a little ways off. He didn't always like the crowded and social gatherings, so he decided to leave for a bit. He sighed and laid back, closing his eyes, the gentle breeze washing over him. _I wonder how the others are doing. _

Last time he checked, Cagalli was fuming off somewhere, Athrun was helplessly looking lost being dragged around by the representative, and Meyrin was failing miserably at talking to some guy. Luna, Rey, and Shinn were joking around. Well, more like just Shinn and Luna. Rey was quiet and observant. Stellar was with Lacus talking about the beauty of the gardens.

_Lacus…_

Kira smiled at the thought of his pink-haired fiancé. _I'm so lucky to have her._

He loved her so much. But he sometimes wondered what Lacus ever saw in him. He had rejected her before, when he was still caught up grieving for Fllay, as well has the others killed during the war. She had been patient and understanding. Most importantly…she had been there for him in his time of sadness.

Kira was so grateful that Lacus stilled loved him after it all. He knew he had hurt her before when he told her that he thought about Fllay often. He remembered the red-haired girl from the war. Kira still had a place in his heart for her, but it was only of friendly affection. He had an idea that if Fllay would have survived the war, they could have been good friends, but nothing more. He knew his heart belonged to Lacus and nothing would change that.

Just then, he heard someone running towards him. Sitting up and letting his eyes adjust to the sunlight, he saw that the figure approaching him was Lacus. She ran to where he was, breathing hard, and collapsed next to him.

Lacus huffed and puffed, while mumbling about being out of shape and getting more exercise. She then ignored Kira's curious expression and proceeded to looked around frantically, with a cautious look on her face.

"Lacus?" Kira asked, his head tilted to the side in question.

After Lacus seemed satisfied she looked at him with wide blue eyes and smiled. "I was being chased by an angry Meyrin because Stellar and I teased her. Stellar got away so Meyrin chased me all around the grounds for the past ten minutes. I think I lost her though because she tripped."

Kira just blinked at her. _That was an odd explanation…_

"So, Kira, what are you doing here by yourself?" She asked while tying her hair up. She had gotten hot after running around so much.

"Just thinking." came his short reply. They sat in contented silence and Kira looked at Lacus. She was so beautiful he asked himself for the hundredth time why she stuck with him. _How can she love me so much? _

Decided to push away the thought, he put his arm around her waist and looked into her eyes. Lacus stared back at him and closed her eyes and he bent down to kiss her. Smiling into the kiss, Lacus wrapped her arms around his neck. When they broke apart, Kira laid down on the grass with his head in her lap. The rest of the time, they talked and enjoyed each others company.

-

Cagalli angrily sat down on the bench. She was so angry. _What does Athrun see in her! She annoying and so full of herself! __Grr…I'm going to punch him when I see him!_

Cagalli sighed and looked at her ring. This calmed her down a bit. _Then again, Athrun didn't exactly flirt back or anything…and he didn't really seem interested either…he was just being polite like he usually is…_

This made Cagalli think. Why was she so mad? It wasn't like he did anything wrong. It's not like he was her boyfriend and she didn't have a right to get angry…and at _him _at least. She decided to stay mad at _Isabel. _

She closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. When she opened them, she found jade-colored eyes staring back at her.

"**_GAH!_**" Screaming in surprise she shoved Athrun back, causing him to land on his behind. He had been peering at her face before.

Clutching her heart, she waited for her heart rate to slow down. "Don't **_do _**that!"

Athrun laughed and sat down next to her after getting up and brushing his clothes off. "Sorry Cagalli. I was just seeing if you were awake or not."

Cagalli looked at him and blushed at the way he was staring. "What?" she mumbled.

"You look nice." Athrun said indicating her dress.

"Er…thanks…" she said quietly.

"So why are you here anyways? I was looking for you again but Miss Chapa wouldn't leave me alone! She made me walk around with her but I finally got rid of her because Meyrin ran into her while she was chasing Lacus…for some weird reason."

Cagalli smiled at how confused he looked. "I'm sorry." She said suddenly.

"Eh? What about?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

"You know...walking off like that. It's just that…I don't know…I don't really like her."

Cagalli said while looking down. _Geez, I sound so spoiled. I haven't even gotten to know the girl, but our first encounter wasn't exactly a good one._

"No need to apologize, princess." Athrun said teasingly. He winked when she glared at him. "Miss Chapa does seem a bit…odd…I wonder why she kept trying to cling to me?" He scratched his head and thought hard.

Cagalli stared with a dry expression. "I don't know Athrun…maybe because she _likes _you?"

Athrun seemed shocked by this. "Her…like me? No… don't think so Cagalli. I think she was being friendly because I was the first person to talk to her. I'm sure if Rey went up to her first, or Kira, she'd act the same. Though…I don't know about Shinn. He'd probably get her mad…" he trailed off.

Cagalli stared at him in disbelief. Was this guy real? She shook her head in exasperation. _Athrun wouldn't know if a girl liked her if she hit him upside the head and held big bright signed declaring her love for him while tap dancing…_

…_best not to mention that to the girls…they might get ideas. _

"Plus," Athrun continued, "Even if she did like me…it wouldn't affect me. She doesn't really seem all that interesting."

Cagalli laughed at this statement. "And what kind of girl is interesting to you, Mr. Zala?" She asked jokingly.

"I'd say one who seems like she can't be tamed, and has a fiery spirit, but is still gentle and caring, as she is strong."

Cagalli shyly looked at Athrun. _Is he talking about me? _

Deciding to stop being shy, she leaned close to Athrun's face, causing him to blush a bit. Smiling and looking at him straight in the eyes, she leaned in and…

…poked him on the forehead, causing him to blink twice. Laughing loudly, she stood up straight and yelled "You're it!" She then proceeded to run like no tomorrow.

It took Athrun a second to recover from his shock. She had been so close that he could smell the sent of the flower in her hair. Shaking his head, he got up quickly and ran after her.

He caught up and was about to tag her back, but Cagalli stumbled, because of those stupid heels, and almost ended up eating a face full of dirt, had it not been for Athrun's who displayed his impressive skills by catching her. He held her waist and looked down at her.

"Are you alright?" He asked with concern.

Cagalli looked back up at him with wide eyes and then nodded. "Yeah…I'm ok….because I know you'll always be there to catch me when I fall."

Athrun smiled at her words. His face went into shock when Cagalli leaned up and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. Blushing furiously, she shyly got out of his arms and started walking back to their friends, who were not to far from them, but still hadn't noticed the pair.

Looking back over her shoulder, the blush still on her face, she called out to him saying, "Hurry up, Athrun...it's getting late and the banquet's over."

Athrun watched as Cagalli turned around and kept walking. He touched his cheek where she kissed him. He shook out of his daze and followed her. _Are you finally starting to be ready for a relationship? _

…**End of Chapter…**

Note: WOW that was a long chapter…well long for me at least. PLEASE review! Haha oh no, I sound desperate! Oh well. Please don't mind my weirdness. Well look forward to the next chapter…although I still don't know what to write yet. Bye until then!


	5. Morning Activities

Note: Hey again! Here's the next chapter in the story! (well obviously haha). Anyways, I wasn't really going to update until next week because I needed to get my thoughts together, but I decided to anyways, so don't get mad if it isn't as good as other chapters!

I'd like to thank the reviewers who keep reviewing. You all deserve a pat on the back! I decided to write this chapter today instead of later because of you all! Thanks for the motivation!

O yeah! Here's my reply to **Aikoo**: Don't you worry! Athrun and Cagalli will get their kiss…just not yet. I have to torture Cagalli with more embarrassing moments first!

Anyways I'll stop my rambling. Please read and review!

**Disclaimer:** I Don't Own Gundam Seed/Destiny!

Lacus woke up when the sun shined brightly in her eyes. She took her time in stretching and yawning. Looking to her side she found that Kira was gone. _Wonder where he went too…_

After getting ready for the morning, she went downstairs to find anyone who was awake. Going into the dining room, she found Stellar, Shinn, Rey, and surprisingly Cagalli. _Hum... how did she get up so early? _

Stellar and Shinn were seated and talking quietly to each other, Rey was reading the newspaper, and Cagalli had a stack of papers in front of her.

"Good morning!" She said cheerfully. They all replied back while she sat down next to Cagalli.

"Breakfast isn't ready yet…I was thinking of us all eating together so we have to wait for the others to get up." Cagalli said while flipping through the papers.

"Have you seen Kira?" Lacus asked hoping that his twin would know were to find him.

"Yeah…he's helping Meyrin with her homework again. Poor girl, she was complaining that she had to take classes during the summer. Luna as well." Cagalli stuck her tongue out at the thought of school. "If you want to know, they're in the living room."

"Thanks. I'll be back for breakfast then."

Cagalli nodded, not really paying attention. One would think that she was concentrating on the papers that needed signing and approving, but to tell you the truth, she wasn't. She was too busy thinking about Athrun and that _girl,_ Isabel. After the banquet yesterday, everyone decided to go out for ice cream, but the representative from Rutherland declined saying she needed to take care of a few things. Now, there was no problem with that. In fact, Cagalli preferred for her to be absent, but the thing was that she tried to drag Athrun to _help _her. This got her angry and she started to grip the papers tightly. Good thing Athrun refused.

"Um…Cagalli? Are you ok? Whatever it is, don't take it out on the paper." Shinn said while looking at the angered princess.

She sighed and loosened her grip. "I'm fine." She mumbled.

Shinn gasped in exaggerated surprise. "What! No snappy comeback? Who are you and what have you done with the annoying blonde princess!"

Cagalli felt her eyes narrow. Slowly, she set down her papers and pinned a death glare on Shinn, who started laughing nervously and getting up from his chair ready to run if need be.

Stellar sighed and shook her head at her boyfriend's stupidity. Rey just ignored them and kept reading.

"I was just kidding Cagalli! You know…**_joking._**" Shinn said as Cagalli picked up a heavy looking paper weight. Shinn gulped and ran out of the room faster than Stellar could blink.

Cagalli dashed right after him with an angry expression but inside she was happy. _Shinn…you always know when to distract people and get their minds off of stuff…thanks. _

-

Athrun was walking towards the library to get a book to read before breakfast. He had gotten up early that morning to help Kisaka with something and decided to wait until breakfast to see everyone.

Before he could keep walking, he heard a voice behind him.

"Commander Zala!"

Turning around quickly he had to smile at the sight. It was Luna clad red pajamas with yellow stars on them. Only she would walk around looking like she just got up, which she probably did.

She saluted him jokingly and smiled. Athrun remembered when he first went on the Minerva, Luna was the only one to actually act friendly towards him. It took the others more time, but Athrun learned that Luna was friendly to everyone, unless they gave her reason not to be. At first, he was kind of uncomfortable, but he warmed up to her and now treated her with brotherly affection.

"Good morning." He replied. "If you're looking for the others, I think they're in the dining room waiting for breakfast."

"Oh no! I'm actually looking for the representative's room. I volunteered to get her since I haven't met her yet. But…I'm kind of lost." She smiled sheepishly and scratched her uncombed hair.

"Oh don't worry, I'll take you there."

"Thanks! So you met her yesterday? What kind of person is she? Cagalli didn't seem to like her much…when Kisaka told her to get her, she kind of scowled and started grumbling…that's why I volunteered." Luna said as they walked side by side down the hall.

Athrun smiled at the mention of the blonde princess. She was always full of energy and spirit. "The representative is...like…um…" Athrun tried to think of a good word to describe her.

Then he got it. "You remember Mia Campbell?"

This time Luna scowled. "The Lacus wannabe?"

They had never had a good relationship together because the hyperactive girl always pushed Luna aside and also tried to get with Athrun. She had the idea in her head that Luna liked Athrun, just because she was friendly towards him. This made Luna mad because after she found out about his feelings for Cagalli, Luna wanted to make sure that they stayed for Cagalli and that no one would get in their way.

Athrun laughed. "Yes the...er…fake Lacus. Well, the representative is like that, except not hyper."

Luna gave Athrun a dry look. "So in other words, she clings onto you."

"Bingo."

The two continued to walk towards Isabel's room.

-

"I don't get it!" Meryrin screamed in frustration, while pulling at her pigtails; a habit she required since she started going to the university.

Kira, who was used to the younger girl's habits, calmly sat and waited for her to finish her little tantrum. Just then a small giggle came from the entrance to the room and Kira looked up.

"Good morning." Lacus said happily and she walked towards them. She went to Meyrin and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure you'll get sooner or later."

Meyrin calmed a bit and blushed at her behavior in embarrassment. It seemed that Lacus's calm and gentle presence made her quiet down.

Kira smiled as Lacus sat next to him. _Maybe I should have Lacus here with me every time I help Meyrin. It would be easier on my ears…_

"Let's try again Meyrin." Kira said as he pulled the laptop closer to them. The two started going over program analysis (AE: That's made up…I think) and Lacus watched in content.

Kira was such a good teacher. _He will be a good father too._ The last thought made Lacus blush and look away. Kira, noticing her movement turned to look at her curiously, as Meyrin furiously typed at the laptop. He raised an eyebrow at Lacus and she just smiled and grabbed his hand.

_-_

Stellar sat in the dining room where Shinn and Cagalli left her with Rey. Yes, she sat. That's all she did. She sat in complete silence, while Rey read the newspaper. What was so interesting in there anyway? Now, Stellar was probably the quietest girl of the group and she was fine with being independent and silent. But, this was around talkative people like Luna and Meyrin. When she was in a room with another silent person; that would be Rey, she started to feel annoyed.

All she heard was the ticking of the clock and the shuffling of Rey's newspaper. She never really did talk to Rey much, but this was getting ridiculous. There were two options. First one being would be to find an excuse and walk out of the room. Second one was to start up a conversation.

Decisions…decisions…

The clock kept ticking…

The newspaper kept shuffling…

Rey wasn't talking…

"That's **_it!" _**Stellar screamed in a very un-Stellar like way and slammed her hands on the desk. _Being away from Shinn did this to her._

Rey slowly put his newspaper down, and blinked at her.

"Why don't you _talk _to me!" Stellar asked, her hands still on the table.

Rey blinked a couple of times, still startled at her outburst, which seemed like something Cagalli or Luna would do; not the serene and quiet blonde dancer.

"What is there to talk about?" he finally said in a neutral voice.

Stellar tried to calm herself down. She started thinking of her training from the war, and took deep breathes while counting to ten. _1…2…3…_

"Well…what are you reading?" she finally asked, regaining her calm voice.

"An article." Came the short reply.

Stellar felt her eyebrow tick. And through clenched teeth, she said, "I _know _that…but what is it about?"

"The news." Rey answered back just as short.

Stellar felt like pulling her hair out. _No. Remember you are always calm and quiet. Don't let him get to you. _

"Ok…what is the news about?" she asked forcing herself not to sound too annoyed.

"You want to read it?" Rey said while holding the innocently looking paper out to her.

_He doesn't get it does he…the only reason why I asked was to have a conversation! Not just to read in silence!_

Forcing a smile, she shook her head and excused herself with a quiet "No, it's ok. I'm going to find Shinn and make sure Cagalli hasn't knocked him unconscious."

And with that she left the room in a hurry. _I need to be with Shinn to keep my temper in check. Now I know why I'm with him…he keeps me calm. _

As Stellar left, Rey sat there with a confused frown. Did he do something wrong? Shaking the thought away, he returned to reading the interesting article. (AE: Which we will never know about because Rey is secretive like that). _Now I know why Luna is my girlfriend. _

-

Athrun and Luna finally made it to the representatives room and Luna, feeling somewhat excited about meeting her, knocked loudly.

After a few moments, the door opened to reveal Isabel in a navy blue blouse and a matching short skirt. Her hair was tied up in a bun. Her face scrunched a bit when she saw Luna in her pajamas and messy hair, but was immediately wiped off when she noticed Athrun.

"Mr. Zala! What a pleasant surprise!" She said ignoring Luna after sending a disgusted look at her appearance.

Luna blinked a bit…but then shook her head to clear her confused thoughts. _Did she just ignore me on purpose? Was that a glare she gave me?_

Deciding not to think much of it, she smiled and introduced herself cheerfully. "Hello! I'm Lunamaria Hawke, but you can call me Luna! I'm really excited that you'll be staying with us this summer."

Isabel stared at Luna for a bit and Luna started to feel uncomfortable. "Er..yes..hello Miss Hawke. I am Isabel Chapa, representative of Rutherland but I'm sure you are well aware of that." She finished her sentence with a haughty look, which didn't go unnoticed by Luna.

"Er…ok…" Luna said awkwardly.

"So Mr. Zala! What brings you here?" She asked walking up to Athrun while shoving Luna out of the way. "**_Omph!" _**Luna said as she stumbled back.

Athrun looked at how close Isabel was and felt uncomfortable. He saw Luna dust herself off and glare of Isabel's back.

"We're here to get you for breakfast." He said politely taking her hand off his arm and stepping back.

"I would love to have breakfast with you!" Isabel said looking at Athrun.

Luna cleared her throat and motioned to Athrun that they had to go. "Breakfast will be with everyone." She reminded Isabel sternly. _This girl's on my bad list. No wonder Cagalli doesn't like her. I hope Cagalli slaps her a bit…she really is full of herself._

The three made their way back to the dining room with Luna in the middle of the two. She insisted and Athrun felt somewhat grateful so the persistent representative wouldn't come on to him again.

-

"Get back here you…you…menace!" Cagalli screamed as she chased Shinn around the house.

Shinn almost stumbled. "Menace!" he asked incredulously.

"Just shut up and get back here so I can beat you!" Cagalli yelled running around a table. Shinn grabbed a pillow from the couch, and in an attempt to stop the rampaging princess, threw it at her. Taking advantage of his safe time while she was distracted, he ran and turned the corner.

He saw Stellar walking towards them. "Stellar!" he yelled relieved. "Help me!"

Behind him, he heard Cagalli's cursing as she stumbled on a fallen lamp.

Stellar looked at him curiously and was about to ask what was going on, but a loud crash and lots of cursing could be heard in the background.

Behind her, Shinn saw Luna, Athrun, and some girl he didn't know turn the other corner and walk towards them.

"Shinn? What's going on?" Luna asked noticing his panicked expression.

"No time to explain! Come on Stellar, we have to get to safety! The princess can't take a joke!" with that, he grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the dining room saying something about using Rey as reinforcements.

Athrun just blinked.

"Shinn! When I get my hands on you, you're so going down! Do you know how many times I stubbed my toe chasing you!" they heard the unmistakable voice of Cagalli turning the corner.

She barreled right into Athrun, causing them both to land on the ground. "**_Omph!_**"

Cagalli was running so fast, that she failed to see them around the corner and thus ended up lying on top of Athrun. She opened her eyes and looked down. "A-Athrun?" she asked slowly.

Athrun looked back up at her. "What's up?" he asked. She blushed after she saw their positions and sat up quickly. Athrun sat up after, rubbing his head, which hit the floor rather hard.

"Mr. Zala! Are you ok?" came the voice that Cagalli would soon learn to hate.

She heard Luna sigh and mumbled about annoying purple haired people. Cagalli smiled. _At least I'm not the only one who doesn't like her._

Athrun brushed Isabel off and stood up. He helped Cagalli stand as well and looked at her.

"Have fun exercising?" He asked, his eyes smiling with laughter.

Cagalli pouted. "I think I might have pulled a muscle."

Just then, something, or rather _someone _shoved Cagalli away from Athrun causing her to land into Luna. Luna had stumbled back and hit the wall as Cagalli tried to steady herself.

"Geez…that's the second time today, and she didn't even shove me back…"Cagalli heard Luna mumble.

"Mr. Zala? I do hope you are well. That fall must have been painful. I mean, if some people weren't so _careless…_" Isabel trailed off glancing at Cagalli.

This caused our favorite hot-tempered princess to get angry. She watched as Isabel got closer to Athrun. His eyes got wide and he tried to push her off, but the girl had a mean grip.

Losing the little patience that she had, Cagalli stomped up to the pair, grabbed Athrun by the shirt sleeve and pulled him to her.

"I would appreciate it, _Miss Chapa,_ if you would stop forcing yourself onto my ma- friend." She corrected herself. _I almost called him my man! Geez Cagalli!_ "I would think that a dignified person from Rutherland wouldn't act like this." She added while narrowing her eyes.

"Go Cagalli! You tell her!" Luna cheered behind them.

Isabel glared at Cagalli and Luna. She smiled gracefully at Athrun and bowed to him. "I am sorry if I seem very _direct. _But I am a woman who goes for what she wants. Forgive me if I am too intrusive. It's just that sometimes…I can't control my attraction…" she ended by tucking a lose piece of dark purple hair behind her ear.

_Geez…is she trying to seduce him or something! Grrrr! I will NOT let that happen! _

"Let's go to breakfast." Cagalli said briskly deciding to ignore the Isabel.

Luna was all up for this, so she started off first, saying something about needing to get Rey to give her shoulders a massage because of the hostile treatment towards her. Isabel followed after, her heels tapping on the floor.

Cagalli sighed and let go of Athrun's shirt after she realized how tightly she was gripping it. She looked up at him with her amber eyes.

He smiled at the princess. "You handled that well, Cagalli. Thanks for getting her off of me. It was kind of scary."

Cagalli grinned. "No problem, _Mr. Zala._" She said imitating the way Isabel said it. "Knowing you, you can't be impolite to a girl. I'm happy to help."

Athrun laughed and they two proceeded to walk behind Luna and Isabel.

-

As Cagalli and Athrun entered the room, they saw that everyone was already sitting and breakfast was on the table. Shinn avoided Cagalli's gaze and started talking to Rey. Lacus and Meyrin were talking about some fashion show and Kira was looking out the window.

Stellar played with her fork by spinning it on the table. Luna stomped in, sat next to Rey, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

He looked at her curiously, but she just closed her eyes. Isabel sat herself down and everyone stopped talking and looked at her.

"Er..this is Isabel Chapa. The representative from Rutherland." Cagalli said while sitting next to Athrun and Lacus.

Lacus, forever being polite, smiled and offered her hand to shake. "I'm Lacus Clyne. Nice to meet you."

Isabel took it but she had a fake smile on her face. "The pleasure's mine, Miss Clyne."

Other introductions were given and everyone concluded that Isabel was not a very friendly person. She was only friendly…and if anything…_too_ friendly to Athurn.

All the girls smelt trouble. Isabel was an obstacle in Athrun and Cagalli's relationship.

As they ate, Kira, who sat next to Athrun nudged him with his elbow and whispered in his ear, "I don't think that Isabel character is very trustworthy. She seems fake."

Athrun took a drink of juice and whispered back, "Yeah I know what you mean…but she hasn't done anything so we don't really have valid proof."

"Well…I'm just saying…we should keep out eye on her." Kira said.

Athrun nodded in agreement and went back to his breakfast. _This summer is getting more and more interesting…I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing._

…**End of Chapter…**

Note: Well! There you go! Sorry if everyone is OCC, especially Stellar, but I had to put it in. This chapter had more of interaction between characters who weren't romantically involved, ie: Athrun and Luna…Shinn and Cagalli…Stellar and Rey… you know the rest. I just wanted to establish that they are good friend. I sometimes get annoyed with fics that just stick to interactions with the pairings…it makes it seem like they all have separate stories. Anyways…don't worry, there will be more romantic fluff or whatever next time!

Don't worry people! Isabel will get what she has coming in later chapters! For now, please don't get too annoyed by her! .

Once again! Thanks for the reviews! Bye for now!


	6. All Watching the Same Sunset

**Note: Hello! Ah yes…here is another chapter of my story! Please read and review! Thank you everyone for reviewing! I think I'll respond to you all!**

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**Thanks so much you guys! You make me smile! Sorry if I forgot anyone! Please don't whack me with a broom stick! **

**Anyways...please enjoy...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny!**

After an interesting breakfast, in which everyone started to feel really annoyed because Isabel kept trying to go up to Athrun, the group decided to do their own thing and then go out and visit the memorial for those lost during the war. Everyone had been up for it…everyone except the arrogant purple haired representative who claimed she had to contact her country and have a meeting over the phone. Everyone, especially Cagalli was more than happy to let her stay behind.

So, at the moment, Cagalli was sitting behind her desk, trying to get some paperwork done before they left. Her brow furrowed in concentration and she took a drink of her coffee. _What's this! _

A document caught her attention. _Why does this document say A5, but then the next one in the stack jumps to A7…where's A6! _

Wondering if maybe she dropped the document by accident, Cagalli searched around her desk, opening drawers and looking under books. Scratching her head, she got on her hands and knees and proceeded to looked under her desk and chair. Growling in frustration, she got up without paying attention and bumped her head on the desk.

Mumbling a few curses and rubbing her head, she failed to notice that the door had opened and a few people had entered the room. Looking up, she almost jumped out of her skin when she saw Lacus and Stellar standing there, staring curiously.

"Er...can I help you?" she asked while trying not to look embarrassed. Pushing the frustration of not finding the document aside, she paid attention to her friends. _I'll have to ask Athrun or Kisaka later about it…_

Lacus smiled and Stellar started examining things on her desk. Noticing that Lacus had something hidden behind her back, Cagalli asked what it was.

"Ohh!" Lacus said happily while bringing whatever it was behind her back into view. "_This _is the skirt and blouse you'll be wearing to the picnic we're having today after we visit the memorial."

Cagalli felt like protesting, but then realized their deal about the girls helping her and sighed. "Will I never be rid of the horrors of girly things?" she asked in despair.

Stellar giggled as Lacus shoved the knee-length yellow skirt, and white button up blouse into Cagalli's reluctant hands.

"Say…where's Luna and Meyrin? I would think that they would like to torture me like you to two are..." Cagalli said as she changed in the bathroom.

"They volunteered to buy the flowers. Luna said she didn't feel like having to wrestle you into the skirt and heels." Lacus said as she picked out a white headband for the princess.

Cagalli grumbled even more about being ganged up on. Stepping out into the room, she saw instant smiles and Lacus and Stellar's faces.

"Perfect." Stellar said as she put on the white headband.

"Athrun better appreciate this…" Cagalli said as she tried to put on the heels, but the annoying straps were too hard to figure out. She hopped on one foot and tried to tie it together, but she ended up falling over. In the end, she tried to throw it out the window when the other two weren't looking but Stellar tackled her to the floor before she could accomplish her task. _Geez…why does she have to be so fast…_

"What are we going to do with you, Cagalli." Lacus sighed as she put the heels on for her.

Athrun sat on a bench outside with a book. He had nothing to do that morning so he decided to read to pass time. At first, he was going to see if Cagalli needed help with her documents, but then Lacus and Stellar stopped him and told him that they would be happy to help her. He got confused when Lacus, who was holding something behind her back, started giggling. Stellar made a quiet apology for Lacus and pulled the happily giggling girl into Cagalli's room with her.

Shaking his head, he wondered what those two were up to. Well, after that little encounter, he decided to look for the guys, but couldn't find them. Deciding that the safest place to be without being spotted by the clingy Isabel, Athrun went to a quiet spot in the garden and started to read a good book.

"I was wondering where you were Athrun." Came a familiar voice.

Athrun looked up and saw, his best friend, Kira, standing there. He smiled and moved over so his friend could sit next to him.

"What are you doing out here alone?" Kira asked curiously.

"Nothing really. I was just reading. There's nothing else for me to do. Usually, Cagalli asks me to do things for her but I guess not today." Athrun sighed as he thought about the blonde princess.

Kira looked at his friend. "Speaking of Cagalli…how is she doing? I hope she isn't too stressed with running Orb. I think that everyone visiting will help relieve it, don't you think?"

Athrun agreed. "That's why I got her to invite everyone over. If all she does is work and worry about an upcoming meeting, or a document in need of going over, she'll never be happy."

Kira looked as if he was thinking hard. "You know Athrun…us being here will cheer Cagalli up, but I don't think she'll ever be _truly _happy until she is with her soul mate, who we all know is you."

Athrun looked startled and stared at Kira as he continued. "I am so lucky to have Lacus and we are both happier than ever. But I can sense that you aren't. Nether is Cagalli. Why don't you two give up the _let's just be friends_ act and get together? We all know that you two are meant for each other. What's stopping you?"

Athrun sighed and looked at the up at the Athha mansion, trying to gather his thoughts to find the best reply. He was momentarily distracted when he heard a thump from the window of Cagalli's room, and some shouting which came from Cagalli herself. After, he heard some murmurs and guessed it was either Stellar or Lacus.

Trying not to get distracted by wondering what was going on up there, Athrun looked at the flowers to his left and sighed. Why wasn't he in a relationship with Cagalli? There was a valid reason.

"…Because Kira, your sister doesn't want to be with me. She said it herself. I tried and she told me that she wasn't ready. I don't want to force her into anything…even if it causes me to be unhappy."

Kira shook his head in exasperation. "If I know Cagalli, which I do, she's more stubborn than an ox and she'll never admit anything. She may be the most determined person we know, but she doesn't have any experience from a romantic level."

"I won't push her. The last thing she needs is more stress from trying to figure out if she's ready for a relationship or not. For now, I'll just stay by her side." Athrun said.

"Tell me this Athrun…if you know the answer to make her happy…why not give it to her? Why not make her see that you are meant to be together? Some of us are fortunate enough to have happiness…others have to go for it. And I know that you aren't a person to sit back and let things happen." Kira said as he got up from the bench.

Athrun's eyes widened in realization when he remembered similar words, which he spoke to Cagalli not too long ago on her balcony. _"No…I don't think people should always sit back and wait for happiness to come when they can get it for themselves. We control our own destiny…I mean…if we just sat back during the war, I'm sure we wouldn't have achieved peace." _

"Think about what I said. You're my best friend and I want to see you, as well as my sister, as happy as everyone else, because you two deserve it just as much." And with that, he walked away, leaving Athrun in his thoughts. _Am I blinded by what I think is right and not taking my own advice? _

"Um…Luna?" Meyrin asked hesitantly as the two of them walked around the flower shop. Her arms were full of any kind of flower imaginable.

"Hmm?" Luna asked not really paying attention as she looked for more flowers, occasionally picking up a bouquet and putting it in Meyrin's already full arms.

"I think we have enough…" she said as she desperately tried to balance all the flowers.

Luna picked up one last bundle of violet flowers and nodded. "I think you're right. I just want the memorial to be pretty…you know…it is a very important place and the flowers will respect those who passed on…"

"Yeah…" Meyrin agreed taking a minute to reflect, but her thoughts were broken when the flowers started slipping.

"Uh…let's pay for these now. I want to go shopping before we get back. I think I deserve some kind of reward for managing not to drop any of these."

Luna laughed and then proceeded to hand her credit card to the store owner who seemed very happy to have such good business.

"Hand them the flowers, Meyrin, so is can be held easier when they place it in a bag." Luna said, while signing the receipt.

"Ok Luna...but you have to admit…I'm pretty skilled. I mean…I haven't even dropped a single flower. I'm sure I could go on holding these for longer." Meyrin boasted proudly while taking a big sniff of the flowers. "I think I deserve some…**Ah...Ah…Achoo_!" _**

Luna turned quickly to see half the flowers on the floor, and Meyrin sniffing miserably.

She sighed and shook her head at her little sister.

"Just my luck…how ironic is that?" Meyrin complained as she the store owner took the flowers while giving her a disapproving glance.

"Don't worry Mey." Luna said calling her sister by the nickname she always used when they were younger. (AE: That's made up but I think it's a cute name...anyways onward with the fic!). "Let's go shopped for a little while, that'll cheer you up."

**Ten minutes later…**

"Wow! Look at this, Luna! I'm going to get all of it!" Meyrin said practically cheering, causing some people to give her weird glances.

Luna laughed nervously and grabbed Meyrin by the arm to calm her down. "Just pick a few Mey…we're running late as it is. Plus…you don't need _that _much make up. You have a whole bag at home…"

Meyrin pouted. "But Luna! I like make-up. It's fun to make myself look better." She picked up some lip gloss and placed it in the cart.

Luna sighed. "Make up doesn't change the person you are. You will still be Meyrin no matter what. I don't understand why you have to focus so much on your looks."

Meyrin looked annoyed, angry, and most of all hurt. All of which Luna didn't miss. "Well, _sorry_ Luna but-" she cut herself off and sighed. "You wouldn't understand anyways…" she mumbled after, leaving Luna very confused.

"Mey…I didn't mean to hurt your feelings…" she started but stopped when Meyrin grabbed the make up out of the cart, except for one and put it back. She then proceeded to ignore her older sister and buy the lip gloss which she took.

Luna sighed. _I didn't mean it that way…_

"Where are they?" Cagalli complained. Everyone stood at the front of the house, waiting for the Hawke sisters, who at the moment were late.

"Calm down Cagalli." Kira said as he tried to hold her back from running down the driveway to see if they had come yet.

"I will _not _calm down! We've been waiting for so long!" Cagalli said as she tried to throw her brother's hold off of her.

"Patience is a virtue." Rey said from his spot leaning against the wall.

Cagalli, in turn, pointed an accusing finger at him. "You're one to talk, Rey! I remember when Luna was stuck at the University because they locked her in the library, she told me that you almost went crazy wondering where she was and ended up going to the university and busting the door open. Some patient person you are." She finished, satisfied when Rey shut up.

Lacus laughed from her spot sitting on the front steps with Stellar.

Cagalli started pacing. "You're giving me a headache Cagalli, not that you don't already…but still…" Shinn said as he sat next to Stellar.

"Am I the only one whose frustrated here!" Cagalli yelled.

Athrun finally decided to step in. "No Cagalli. We're all worried and tired of waiting. But there's no use in getting frustrated. They're probably stuck in traffic. Just please wait quietly."

Everyone noticed that Cagalli was completely quiet when Athrun spoke. "Fine…" she mumbled. Everyone else smiled knowingly as Athrun made Cagalli sit down next to Lacus.

Just then, a car pulled up the driveway and Cagalli jumped up from her spot. An annoyed Meyrin and dejected looking Luna came out.

"Where have you been?" Cagalli demanded.

Luna sighed and bowed slightly, for once not in a joking manner. This took Cagalli by surprise. The cheerful girl always joked around. _What's wrong with Luna?_

"Sorry Cagalli. But I guess there was some traffic and I wanted to buy a lot of flowers…"

Cagalli calmed down a bit a nodded. Rey, sensing the gloomy mood, went up to his girlfriend and tiled her chin up to look at him.

"What's the matter?" he asked softly.

Luna gave a small smile. "Nothing's the matter. I'm fine…Let's go. You were saying we were late."

Rey didn't pursue the subject knowing that if Luna wanted to talk about it, she would.

The others shrugged at the Hawke sisters' weird behavior. Meyrin didn't seem like her happy self either. Something must have happened.

"Well! Let's all go since everything's ready." Lacus said in a cheery voice and Kira smiled at her attempt to get rid of the gloomy mood.

After a twenty minute drive, everyone each got a bouquet of flowers and stood around the memorial, which faced the ocean. The atmosphere was quietly calm as each person was engrossed in their own thoughts and reflections about the war.

Cagalli bowed her head and thought about her father. _I wonder if he is happy with how I'm running the country. Is he proud of me?_

Similarly, Kira was thinking about the death of his friends. He felt Lacus grab his hand and he could tell that his pink-haired fiancé was thinking about her father.

Athrun sighed and closed his eyes while reflecting. When he reopened his eyes, he saw Cagalli looking at him. He gave a small smile and she returned it.

After they were done paying their respects, each person placed their flowers down.

Everyone was moving on and rebuilding their lives, but they would never forget the past…the past that affected them more than anything.

Lacus stood at the memorial by herself. She sighed and gently touched the flowers. They had had a nice little picnic on the hillside and, afterwards, everyone went their separate ways. She had sneaked off here to get some time alone. Looking at the beautiful sunset she started humming, while giving a silent prayer that peace would always remain, even though she knew that this was impossible. There would always be disputes.

Lacus gasped as she felt someone wrap their arms around her waist. Tilting her head and looking up, she saw Kira with a gentle smile on his face.

"Hi." He said softly as he buried his nose into her hair, which smelt like flowers.

Lacus sighed in content and leaned back into Kira. "Enjoy the sunset with me." is all she said as she looked off into the horizon. Kira nodded and held her closer.

Stellar was very happy. After lunch, which was very relaxing, except for the tension between Luna and Meyrin, she had wondered off by herself to a field which overlooked the ocean, and left Shinn, who had fallen asleep under the tree. She giggled as she thought of his light snoring. Humming happily, she started dancing. With graceful movements, she twirled and spun in tune to her humming, until, she ran into something.

"**_Umph!" _**Looking up, she saw that it was Shinn who she ran into and that they were in a very compromising, yet similar position, with her back to him; one of his arms around her waist, while the other on her _breast. _(AE: heheheh had to put this in here.)

After getting over the shock, she looked up dryly and raised an eyebrow. "You seem to like this position Shinn. I'm beginning to wonder if these coincidences really are accidents."

Shinn turned bright red after realizing what he was doing and jumped a foot back. Stellar laughed and shook her head. _Even though we're going out…he's still shy. How sweet._

Scratching the back of his head, Shinn shrugged sheepishly. "You know it's not my fault."

Stellar went up to her boyfriend and hugged him. "I know…It's just that I can't give up a moment when I know I can embarrass you. It's too easy."

Shinn sighed and hugged her back. "Even my own girlfriend is against me."

Stellar smiled and looked up at him. "Well…when I first met you I was…but now, I'll be on your side forever."

Shinn blushed at her sweet words. "You're embarrassing me again." He mumbled.

Stellar giggled. "That was the point. I couldn't resist. It's just that **_mumph!" _**

Her words were silenced as Shinn kissed her. It was a simple kiss; the only kind that Shinn knew how to give, but Stellar didn't mind. Those were her favorites because it was sweet and full of love. Just like their relationship.

Cagalli and Athrun stood side by side next to the tree, which everyone ate at before. Cagalli sighed and stretched her arms out, a big yawn forming. Athrun smiled at how much like a child she resembled; with her short, blond hair, big golden eyes, and her small frame.

"I would say today was very nice and relaxing." Cagalli said as she walked a few steps in front of him. Turning her head to look back, she smiled. "The sunset it perfect. I wish I could get a better view of the ocean below."

Athrun smiled and was about to comment back when an idea came to mind. Grabbing her hand, he dragged her back to the tree.

"Athrun? What are you doing?" she asked curiously as they stopped at the base of the tree.

"Let's climb up it. I'm sure there's a branch thick enough to hold us both. We'll get a better view!" Athrun put his hands on the truck and was about to climb up but Cagalli forcefully pulled him back down.

"I can't climb up there! Can't you see what I'm wearing!" She asked loudly as she pointed to her yellow skirt and white heels.

"…Ohh…that would be a problem." Athrun said while scratching his head.

"Yes it would." Cagalli snapped back, but instantly regretting it when she heard the tone of her voice. _Argh! Stop yelling at him! It's not his fault! He wanted to help you get a better view! Stupid Stupid! _

Cagalli broke out of her thoughts as Athrun walked up to her, turned around and kneeled down.

"Get on my back." was his simple reply to her curious look.

"W-what!" she asked incredulously.

"I can climb up with you on my back and then you can get off once we reach a stable branch."

"B-but…I…w-what if…uh…" Cagalli stuttered and blushed at the thought of being that close to Athrun…in a skirt no less. _What if someone saw…_

"Don't worry Cagalli. I won't drop you." Athrun said still kneeling down.

"I know that!" Cagalli said quickly, then blushing right after in embarrassment.

"Then what's the problem? Are you scared?" Athrun taunted with an amused look on his face.

Cagalli narrowed her eyes. "I am _not _scared!" She marched up to him and got on his back while wrapping her arms around his neck. "Like I would be scared of climbing a tree." She mumbled after.

Athrun laughed at how childish she was. _I knew taunting her would work. She never backs down. That's what I love about her. Her strength and determination._

Athrun got up and started to climb the tree slowly so they wouldn't fall. "This isn't so bad, is it?" he asked as they made their way up. Cagalli was very light and didn't really affect blue-haired coordinator.

They found a branch halfway up which was hidden by leaves. Athrun sat with his back to the trunk and his legs dangling on either sides of the branch. Cagalli sat in the middle of the branch, still trying to find a comfortable spot, but it proved hard with a skirt. She growled in frustration, which caused her to be careless and almost slip, had it not been for Athrun, who grabbed her quickly.

He pulled her back against him so her back was resting against his chest and her legs along the branch. He held her close around her waist. "You might fall again." He said quietly. Cagalli blushed and wasn't able to form any comprehendible words.

_He's so warm. _

Cagalli sighed and looked at the beautiful view in front of her. She saw the ocean, which seemed to reflect the colors of the sky. A light wind picked up, blowing their hair softly and making Cagalli's skirt billow. Looking up at him, she smiled. "Thank you." She said sincerely.

Athrun held her tighter. "You're welcome."

"I'll be over by there on the hill, Luna." Rey said. He kissed her forehead and gave her a comforting pat on the shoulder and left her. Meyrin sat a few feet away looking off into space. Luna sighed. She knew Rey left so she could talk to her sister. Deciding that it was inevitable, she walked towards her.

"Hey." She said quietly as she sat next to Meyrin.

Meyrin snapped out of her revere and turned to the other direction, avoiding eye contact.

"Meyrin, I'm sorry about today. I didn't mean to offend you." Luna said while picking at the grass which they were sitting on. "I would never intentionally want to hurt you."

Meyrin glanced at Luna and sighed, seeing how sad her older sister looked. "Luna…you don't understand. It's not just about the make-up. There's a reason why."

Luna just listened and waited for her to go on. Taking a deep breath, Meyrin looked down the hill where Shinn and Stellar were laughing and talking. "The reason why I like to wear make-up or try to find guys to date is that…I'm lonely. I know it sounds silly, but, I'm extremely jealous of you guys. You all have someone who loves you. You have Rey, Stellar has Shinn, Lacus has Kira, and even Cagalli has Athrun. Who do I have? I'm always looking for when that person will enter my life. I just…want them to come so I can be happy…so I can be loved."

Luna looked at Meyrin with sad eyes. "Mey…you are beautiful no matter what. And when that lucky guy enters your life, it won't be because of how pretty your eye shadow looks on you…it'll be because of your pretty personality. You attract so many people without even having to try. It's your spirit and character which sets you apart from others."

Meyrin gave a small smile and sighed. "I'm just…tired of waiting. I guess I thought that making myself more presentable would speed up the process…"

Luna reached and tucked a loose piece of her sister's red hair behind her ear. "It won't speed up anything. Meeting your soul mate is apart of destiny. It'll come on its own. If you want to make yourself better, do it for yourself and not for others. I…no we all think you're pretty no matter what."

Meyrin laughed and smiled shyly. "I guess you're right. It's just that I've never told anyone how I felt before and I guess I needed to get it out."

Luna playfully put her arm around Meyrin's shoulders. "Don't worry, Mey, you'll find that special someone soon enough…and when you do…I know you'll never stop talking about it and give me a big headache."

Meyrin pinched her sister in the arm. "Well, I guess I'll have to wait…but in the end…I'll be happy, wont I?"

Luna nodded. "Of course you will and if you ever need to talk more about this because I know that you're doubts won't vanish so quickly, know that I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Luna."

"Don't mention it." They say in a contented silence.

"Say…I think you should go to Rey." Luna raised an eyebrow at her sister. "I mean…you haven't spent any time alone with him in a while and I think you both should."

Luna smiled. "Are you sure you don't mind?" she asked.

"Nah…go ahead…I think I'm going to take a nap." Meyrin said as she yawned slightly.

"You're a good sister." Luna said as she got up and dusted off her pants.

"You know it." Meyrin winked.

Luna laughed and got up to find her boyfriend. She spotted him at the top on the hill, looking up at the sky. Trying not to make too much noise, she ran towards him, intending to surprise him. He turned around when she was three feet away. _Man! He never lets me catch him off guard!_

Rey smiled as he sensed Luna coming at him and turned around. His eyes widened slightly as he saw that she wasn't intending to slow down. She barreled right into him, tackling him to the ground and they both rolled down the hill. Luna laughed happily.

They landed with Luna on top of Rey. She looked down at him and pouted. "You never let me sneak up on you."

Rey laughed and reached up to pull a few pieces of grass out of her hair. "So I take it things worked out with you and Meyrin."

Luna nodded and rested her head on his chest. "Thank you…" she said quietly.

"For what?" he asked.

"For always being here for me…I realized how unhappy I would be without you."

Rey smiled and sighed in content. _You don't know how happy you make me, Lunamaria Hawke…_

All eight people stared at the same sunset and the same ocean, content with the time being. That was all that mattered.

…**end of chapter…**

**Note: Whoa there! That was a tiring chapter! It took me a while! Stretches and yawns Sorry some parts are cheesy or mushy. Haha so much fluff. Don't worry, I'll try to lighten the mood, but I just wanted to establish a plot. Yes! This story will actually have a plot. It's not just pointless fluff. Haha Until next time…bye! **

It has been brought to my attention by OpposingForce that you shouldn't have polls on your stories. I wasn't aware of that and I apologize. I never intended to do it for the soul purpose of gaining reviews…I just needed some help in the direction of the story. Nevertheless, thank you for the heads up.

poll deleted-


	7. Cooking with Cagalli

**Note: Hey everyone! Thanks a bunch for the reviews! Each one makes my day! Speaking of reviews…please read and review! Haha This chapter was long for me and very fun to write. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.**

The week had gone by like a whirl wind for our favorite blonde princess. That week was spent relaxing and being with her friends. Unfortunately, everyone had their own priorities. Although they still stayed at the Athha mansion, everyone was very busy with their respective duties.

Shinn and Rey had to go back to the Zaft quarters stationed in Orb. They usually found time to make it back to the mansion for lunch. There was a lot of paperwork waiting for them, which Shinn kept grumbling. Rey said he caught the messy-haired coordinator trying to order the lower soldiers to do his paper work. Cagalli couldn't help but smile at Shinn's antics. _Sometimes that boy is too lazy._

Luna, Meyrin, and Stellar went to the university to resume their studies. Luna had to study for her exams and brought back a thick looking book on laws for her to memorize. Cagalli shuddered. When she flipped through it, there were sentences that looked like paragraphs! Poor Luna locked herself in her room for hours trying to study. The younger Hawke sister had problems of her own. Even with Kira's help, she still couldn't understand everything. But Cagalli had to give the girl credit. The level of concentration which Meyrin displayed was incredible! And she typed faster than anyone she knew. Moving on…Stellar seemed to be the only one of the three girls to be fine with her studies. The blonde dancer brought back charts and graphs of marine biology, which actually seemed pretty interesting. She went to the aquarium, where some of her classes were held, and took stacks of notes and pictures to study off of. Apart from that, Stellar still went to the dance studio and practiced regularly. Cagalli heard of her talent and skill when it came to dance. _I'll have to see her perform one of these days._

Kira was working on an engineering project where he and a group of others were to be testing out new Gundam models and seeing their best capabilities. (AE: Is that what an engineer would do? I really don't know. Haha). Although, everything seemed very hectic for her brother, what with working on the project and maintaining the classes that he taught, he seemed to be enjoying himself. Lacus decided to help Cagalli out and go to the meetings while becoming a member of the PLANT representatives. Lacus was happy to be there because she didn't have much of anything else to do.

At the moment, Cagalli and Lacus were in a meeting, along with Isabel, and other members from other nations. Athrun was also present, but he stood against the wall and kept an eye on everything. He was in charge of Cagalli's safety, but the blue-haired coordinator also gave his share of ideas during the meetings and was well respected.

"This meeting is taking place to see the international progress of all nations after the war. Please read the report, Mr. Hamilton." Lacus said politely and everyone turned to listen.

"Every nation is doing well and rebuilding to the best of their abilities, some faster than others, but there is still improvement. We are all on the right track. The statistics are as follows…"

Cagalli tried not to yawn as Mr. Hamilton listed all the stats. She got the overall gist that everything was going well and at the moment, there were no emergencies to be taken care of. She turned her head and saw Athrun standing there with a relaxed look. He didn't need to pay attention to this either. They made eye contact and Athrun smiled. Cagalli's attention was taken away from him when Isabel abruptly stood up from her chair and with a sweeping motion like she was royalty, proceeded to state her opinion.

"My nation of Rutherland is doing well. But unfortunately we were hit devastatingly by the effects of the war. Our progress is slow because Rutherland lacks some essential necessities. I wish to acquire these for my nation. I am well aware that other nations are in need as well but I feel that the more important ones should get their rebuilding done. _Then _we can focus on the countries which don't have as much of an impact on the international level. I am sure all of you know that Rutherland is a leading country where steel is produced and oil is acquired." (AE: Thought of these two off the top of my head. I was going to say it is where you can get lots of watermelons, but I don't think that's as important. Haha)

Cagalli felt herself get irritated. She spoke as if Rutherland was their first priority. In a calm voice which shocked the others, who knew how hot-tempered the princess could get, she said, "Miss Chapa, all countries are important regardless of their status. Our job is to help all and not just focus on one group while shoving the other aside. We will not play favorites."

Isabel glared at Cagalli, who stared right back, unmoving. The other representatives noticed the tension and started to feel uncomfortable. Athrun smiled at Cagalli's display of strength and character.

"I believe Miss Athha is correct. Every country was affect by the war and should receive equal attention. Reconstruction will be reached by all." Lacus said in her melodious voice, which stopped the tension.

Most of the members agreed with Cagalli and Lacus, while only a few wanted to talk more about Isabel's idea. In the end, they decided to talk about the topic later and keep on the current rebuilding progress.

"Miss Athha, would you like to talk about how Orb is fairing?" asked an elderly representative who was always kind to her.

Cagalli smiled and nodded. "Orb is doing fine, just like the others. I was going through some documents and it seems that the public is happy as well. My only concern is that there is a lack of rebellion. I find it strange that there are no protests. After going to war, it is hard to believe that the feelings of hostility so easily suppressed."

Isabel snorted uncharacteristically…well maybe not uncharacteristically…but anyways, she snorted and rolled her eyes at Cagalli.

"How naïve can you be, Miss Athha? Where does it say that there aren't any rebellions?"

Cagalli stood up and pinned a glare on the haughty representative from Rutherland, letting her temper get the better of her. "From my documents…it says that there have been no reports of unrest. Do you think I am lying?" she asked in a dangerously low voice.

Isabel narrowed her eyes at Cagalli. "As a matter of fact, I _do _think you are lying. If you haven't noticed the news, there have been a few outbreaks of protests in other nations. But I guess you don't really care about them…as long as there is nothing wrong with Orb…Am I correct?"

Cagalli looked in surprise at Isabel. "I…there were protests? Why wasn't I aware of this?" She directed her question towards a few of the Orb councilmen.

"We sent you the documents, Miss Athha. Remember? They were on your desk. You were supposed to go through it all this week."

"I did but-" Cagalli was cut off by Isabel.

"Obviously you were too busy ignoring your duties and spending time with your _friends._"

Cagalli looked seriously at Isabel. "Miss Chapa…I would appreciate it if you didn't bring my personal life into this. And as for the protests, I guess it is to be expected. Hopefully they will not escalate. For now, I think that we should try and _strengthen _our relations with others and not create hostility. And as for you saying that I only care about Orb, you couldn't be farther from the truth. I want peace of all nations. Your show of simple-mindedness does not help at all. Please refrain from making such declarations."

And with that, Lacus decided to stop the heated discussion and end the meeting. It was obvious that Isabel was miffed and Cagalli was ready to lose more of her temper.

Athrun went up to Cagalli and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Are you ok?"

"I can't _believe _that girl! Was she trying to make me look stupid in front of everyone? Well, I won't let that happen!" Cagalli said angrily.

"Calm down, Cagalli. Don't let your temper get the better of you. In a way, I'd say that Miss Chapa helped you."

"**_What!"_** Cagalli asked in disbelief.

"Well…she cornered you and you displayed how strong you are by getting yourself out of that position and also turning the tables on her to make her look like an arrogant representative…not that she isn't already." Athrun smiled and ruffled her hair. "You're people skills amaze me, princess."

Cagalli smiled shyly at him and laughed quietly. "Thank you Athrun. You know how to cheer me up." A second later, she frowned up at him. "Don't call me princess."

Athrun just winked. "It's in my job description to cheer you up…such a stressing job…" he said jokingly.

Cagalli playfully hit him in the arm and pouted. "I'm not _that _hard to handle, am I?"

"Yes, you are actually." He continued despite her glare. "Although…I wouldn't have it any other way."

Cagalli blushed and was about to say more, but they had reached the car, where Lacus was already seated and patiently waiting.

"Where you aware of the protests?" Cagalli asked both of them after getting in.

"No I wasn't actually." Lacus said after thinking a bit. "It took me by surprise as well. But I don't think they are big. Hopefully it will die down.

"Didn't the representatives say something about giving you the reports earlier?" Athrun asked curiously.

Cagalli thought…and then it hit her. _I remember I couldn't find document A6! _"I lost a document…or misplaced it…or it never reached me. I'm not sure which one it is." Cagalli said after a moment.

"What?" Athrun asked.

"I couldn't find it. I was about to ask you but I forgot."

"Do you think it was an accident?" Lacus asked seriously.

"I hope so…I don't think we need a thief in my office." Cagalli said seriously.

The three sat in silence on the way back and thought of the possibilities.

**-+-+-+-+-+-scene change-+-+-+-+-+-+-**

"Professor Yamato, is this what will be expected on the term paper?" a student asked Kira after class. Kira answered the boys question and was left alone again to do his work.

He sat back down at his desk and sighed. He had gone to the university (AE: the same one where Luna, Meyrin, and Stellar go to) and taught his classes. After a tiring day, he looked over the plans for his current project.

It was tiring, but still interesting. He was so engrossed with writing a few notes that he failed to notice a knock on his opened door.

"Kira! Can you hear us?"

Kira looked up and saw Luna, Meyrin, and Stellar standing at the door in their college uniforms, which consisted of a collared blouse and short pleated skirt. (AE: Decided to make them wear uniforms because I'm mean like that. Muahah!) Smiling, he gestured them in.

"What's up?" he asked curiously. He had seen Meyrin, who was in his class, earlier that day and she mentioned about them all going out to eat with the others.

"Well, we're all done with our work and wanted to know if you're done too so we can all go back together. Lacus wants us to find her when we get back. She says she has a plan." Meyrin said cheerfully.

"Plan?" Kira asked curiously. _What's Lacus up to?_

"We'll find out when we get there." Stellar said quietly.

Kira nodded and began to pack up. "So how are your classes coming?" he asked Luna and Stellar. He was already aware of Meyrin's schedule and how much trouble she was having.

Luna yawned. She had been doing a lot of that lately and she looked extremely tired. "I have too much reading and memorizing and too little time. I have a term paper to write later. Man! I think my professors are out to get me."

Meyrin patted her sisters back sympathetically.

Stellar smiled slightly. "My classes are going well. I got to observe a dolphin at the aquarium today. It was so interesting."

The others smiled at her love of ocean animals. "At least one of us is happy." Meyrin sighed.

"Don't worry. Things will look up." Kira said as he snapped his briefcase shut. He then looked at Luna, who was trying to keep her eyes open, but failing miserably. "I'm sure Lacus could help you with understanding the system of laws. She should have some background since she grew up in a political household."

Luna smiled gratefully and bowed. "I'll ask her. Thank you, Professor Yamato!" She saluted him and winked.

They all laughed and left the campus to go home, wondering why Lacus asked them all to meet her once they got back.

**+-+-+-+-+ scene change+-+-+-+-+-**

A little while later, everyone except Athrun sat in the living room. Lacus had asked Kisaka to tell Athrun to go over some documents in his office to keep the blue-haired coordinator busy.

"So why did you ask us all here?" Shinn asked as he brushed his messy hair from his eyes.

"Well…We all know that Cagalli and Athrun belong together." Lacus said happily.

Cagalli paled slightly and looked at Lacus with wide eyes. _What is she **doing! **_

"The girls and I have volunteered to help her, but more help is always welcome…so we thought that maybe you can help as well." Lacus continued, while looking at Kira, Shinn, and Rey.

"**_Lacus!_**" Cagalli said shocked. "Why did you say that!"

"I think it's a good idea." Kira said and put his arm around Lacus's shoulders. "I'm in."

"Yay!" Meyrin cheered.

"I guess I could help. I mean…Cagalli is hopeless without it. I'm in too." Shinn said and Stellar kissed him on the cheek and said a quiet thank you.

Luna looked at Rey expectantly. He just stared back for a minute. They had a silent battle of wills for about thirty seconds until Luna unleashed her secret weapon and made a puppy-dog face while pouting. Rey sighed and gave in. "Ohh…alright. I can help too."

"Ok! Then that settles it. We are **_all _**going to help you Cagalli!" Lacus said happily.

"But…uh…er…I don't need…" Cagalli started to get flustered by all the attention.

"Look Cagalli…We all want you to be happy. The more help, the better. You want to be with Athrun, don't you?" Stellar asked.

"Yeah…." Cagalli trailed off.

"You said you made a mistake a while ago with turning him away. We will help you correct your mistake and win him back." Lacus said gently.

Cagalli sighed. "I guess you're right. I just don't want this to turn ridiculous." Cagalli smiled slightly. "And since Shinn is helping me…I think it will be."

"Hey! I'm good at matchmaking! Who do you think got Rey and Luna together!" Came Shinn's reply in defense.

Both Rey and Luna raised their eyebrows.

"_Excuse_ me?" Luna asked dryly. "If I recall correctly, I think you were the one who was oblivious to everything until you saw us kissing and even then, you freaked out."

Shinn blushed in embarrassment. "Well…I gave Rey man-to-man advice!" he nodded proudly.

Rey snorted. "You asked if there was anything wrong with me because I was going out with her. I think your exact words were, 'Ewww! That's like going out with your sister!'"

"What? Luna's like a sister to me so naturally I thought that she would act sisterly to you too!" Shinn said.

"You're hopeless." Luna said teasingly and ruffled his hair.

Stellar giggled as Shinn sat there looking dejected and she whispered in his ear, "It's ok Shinn. I think you're adorable when you try and help others."

Shinn blushed and scratched his head sheepishly.

Cagalli watched this interaction with an amused expression. But it turned into one of fright when her _beloved _brother decided to open his big mouth.

"So...what can Cagalli do to get Athrun's attention and show him that she's ready for a relationship?" Kira looked back at Cagalli innocently when she glared at him.

She tried to throw her shoe at him but he dodged. _Damn his dodging capabilities!_

"Well…let's brainstorm. What do you guys do to show that you care?" Meyrin asked.

Everyone sat quietly for a minute and thought.

"There are always physical displays of love." Stellar finally broke the silence. "You know…a kiss on the cheek, a hug, and if your daring, a kiss on the lips."

Cagalli turned bright red and started stuttering. "But-but…I…**_no!_**" She tried to hide behind Kira in embarrassment.

"I think that's too forward for now." Luna said.

"It's **_very _**forward!" Cagalli added. Sure she and Athrun had kissed during the war, but that was a spur-of-the-moment-and-don't-talk-about-it-afterwards type of kiss. She blushed at the memory of his warm and soft lips on hers.

"Well…when I see a boy I like, I go up to him and ask him out on a date." Meyrin said while tapping her chin in thought.

"Good idea! She can do that later." Lacus said as she wrote it down on a pad of paper.

Cagalli eyed it in disbelief. _Where did that come from? Geez…what is this? …the 'Let's embarrass and torture Cagalli convention!'_

Surprisingly, the next person to speak up was Rey. "I sometimes buy Luna gifts, such as flowers or chocolates…we all know how much Luna likes chocolates."

Everyone sweat-dropped as Luna got a faraway look on her face. She dug in her pocket and brought what looked like a chocolate bar. Popping it in her mouth, she closed her eyes in happiness and sighed. "Yum…"

"Er…ok…" Cagalli said.

"Anyways...that can go on the list." Lacus said as she jotted that down.

"What about just spending time together and talking?" Kira suggested. Lacus smiled warmly at him and wrote that down. She knew that that was what they did often. "A relationship is based on communication."

They were about to say more, but Lacus stood up and surprised everyone. "I have an idea!"

Cagalli shrank back in fear. _Please don't let it be anything pink and frilly...if she mentions her Haro I will run out of here screaming._

Lacus smiled and looked at everyone. "Cagalli can cook dinner for Athrun tonight!"

Now…there were a few reactions to this statement.

There was a positive murmur from Kira, Luna, Rey, and Stellar.

There was cheering and clapping from Meyrin.

There was a snort from Shinn, who mumbled about never eating something that Cagalli would cook.

And finally, there was the reaction from Cagalli, herself, who looked shocked and scared at the same time.

"Eh! Y-you want **_me _**to **_cook?_**" When Lacus nodded happily, Cagalli looked at her like she grew another head. "Are you crazy? I haven't cooked anything other than toast and instant noodles! What makes you think I can pull off cooking a whole meal for Athrun?"

Lacus didn't seem fazed. "It's not that hard. I cook for Kira and the orphans all the time. You remember when you visited us once and I cooked that baked chicken and fried rice dish? Well I'll just write out how to do it and all you have to do is follow the recipe! It's really simple."

Cagalli paled slightly. "But you don't understand. I don't think I even know how to start the stove!"

Luna laughed a bit. "You can't be **_that _**bad. Just think of it as a challenge."

"We all know the Cagalli can't back down from a challenge." Shinn said jokingly. He dodged the pillow that the annoyed princess threw at him.

"There is **_no way_** that I will cook! Not ever!" Cagalli screamed

_**10 minutes later…**_

"Stop moving Cagalli! I need to tie your apron on!" Meyin said as the blonde princess tried to struggle out of the offending piece of cloth.

"Why me?" she agonized.

Lacus wrote down the recipe and left it on the counter.

"So you sent the guys to tell Athrun about the dinner?" Luna asked. She sat on the countertop and swung her legs back and forth.

"Yes. You'll have 3 hours to complete your mission and change into nice clothes, which is, at the moment, set out on your bed." Stellar said while looking at her watch.

Cagalli looked at her weirdly. She mouthed the word "mission" to Meyrin and raised an eyebrow. They red-haired girl just shrugged.

"What about the rep from Rutherland?" Luna asked with a frown. "She might be a problem."

Cagalli started to scowl.

"Don't worry. It's taken care of." Lacus said waving her hand as to brush off the subject.

"How?" Stellar asked curiously.

"Because…I volunteered all of us, except than Cagalli and Athrun, of course, to take her out to eat and go shopping." Came Lacus's reply.

"**_WHAT!"_** Luna and Meyrin asked loudly. Luna paled and started to mumble about escape routes. Meyrin started whining and banging her head on the wall, while Stellar frowned.

Cagalli smiled in triumph. "I'd take cooking any day over spending the evening with that annoying…..twit!" She cheered and threw her fist in the air.

Lacus sighed and shook her head. "You better get started, Cagalli. Tell us how it goes after. Come on, we need to get ready to go out." She gestured for the other girls to leave.

Meyrin was still whining as she left. Stellar waved a bit and walked out.

"Good luck." Luna said to Cagalli.

"You too." Cagalli said back.

"We're both going to need it." They both sighed.

**-+-+-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+-+-**

Athrun shuffled through the papers and concentrated hard on the text in front of him. There was something suspicious about the missing document. He wanted to know why someone would bother and take it. Was it that important? It was apart of the reports on the public reactions and progress. _Why was it missing?_

A knock sounded on his door and he looked up as Kira, Shinn, and Rey entered.

"What's going on?" He asked curiously.

Kira smiled at his friend and said, "Cagalli wanted me to tell you that since you've been helping her out so much, she's decided to cook dinner for you."

Athrun, who had been taking a drink, spit it out….all over Shinn and started coughing.

"Man! I just changed into this shirt! Next time, aim at Rey!" Shinn complained and walked out of the room while mumbling about his bad luck.

"Cagalli is going to c-cook!" Athrun asked shocked.

Kira nodded and smiled knowingly.

"But… I don't think she can start the stove…and the most I've seen her make is toast and instant noodles…" he trailed off.

Kira and Rey exchanged a look. _Man those two are alike. Cagalli said the same thing earlier._

"Don't worry about it, Athrun. Just appreciate it. Cagalli says to meet her at the dining room in about three hours." Rey said while looking out of the window and into the gardens.

"And don't go into the kitchen. She say's it's a surprise." Kira added as he and Rey walked out.

Athrun stood there for a while and then slowly, a big smile made its way onto his face. _She's going to cook, even though she hates it…and she's going to do it for me…_

**-+-+-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+-+-**

Cagalli stood in the kitchen with her pink apron with red polka dots on it with the most determined face anyone had ever seen. With her sleeves rolled up and a clip to hold back her hair, she studied the recipe carefully, her brow furrowed in concentration.

_**Defrost the chicken…**_

Cagalli went to the freezer and peered in. She dug around and found the package of boneless chicken breast and put it on the counter. Examining it carefully, she took it out and put it on a plate.

_How in the world do you defrost something! _

She glared at the frozen chicken like it was mocking her.

_It's ok Cagalli. Even if you don't know all this cooking terminology…you can improvise._

Thinking hard, she decided to think of what the prefix "de" meant. Deciding that it had a negative meaning, she concluded that she had to make the chicken "not frozen."

Congratulating herself on her success in figuring out what to do first, she eyed the chicken warily. _What do I do? How do I melt it? I know I can't bake it yet…_

Inspiration came to her when she glanced to the garbage, where one of Meyrin's fashion magazines lay. On the cover, was a hair dryer along with other hair products. Running up to her bathroom, she grabbed her hair dryer, and ran back to the kitchen.

She plugged it in and took aim at the innocent looking piece of meat on the counter. The loud noise of the hair dryer soon filled the kitchen. Cagalli smiled as she heated the chicken, which was actually losing the pieces of ice which were around it. _I'm so good. _

After she deemed the chicken "defrosted," she returned her attention to the recipe.

_**Place chicken into a baking pan and marinate with:**_

_**-cream of mushroom**_

_**-salt and pepper**_

_**-onions, peas**_

_**-olive oil**_

_**-paprika**_

_**-garlic**_

Cagalli looked at the list and frowned. Walking to the cupboard, she came up with salt and pepper. Then she went to the fridge and took out a package of frozen peas…she would need to blow dry that later too. Rummaging around further, she took out onions and garlic.

_I need cream of mushroom, olive oil, and paprika. Why are they! Geez…you would think that Lacus would check for all the ingredients before forcing me to use it all._

Decided to use the 'improvise' tactic, she looked around for something which resembled cream of mushroom.

"What the heck is a cream of mushroom anyways?" she mumbled.

Looking into the refrigerator, her face brightened when she saw a carton of yogurt, some sour cream, and milk. Taking all three things and lining them up on the counter, she proceeded to think of which one would be the best for cream of mushroom.

_Let's see…cream…cream is like milk! I'll use that. But…yogurt is a dairy product too and it's thicker and that cream sauce on the chicken was thick! Maybe I should use that. But sour cream…is salty kind of…and the sauce was salty…what do I do!_

Ruffling her hair she held back a frustrated growl and decided to use all three products. _Hehe when in doubt, use it all! _

Opening the yogurt, she dumped a big amount into the dish and then added equal amounts of milk and sour cream. Stirring it, the "sauce" turned a shade of yellow. _Is it supposed to do that? Well… it **is **banana yogurt so I guess it is supposed to be that way…._

Sprinkling salt and pepper on top, she mixed it all together. _I need olive oil! She wants me to oil an olive! What!_

Cagalli found a jar of olives on the shelf and examined it. "I guess I'll get the..er..juices…er oils out of the olives."

Taking some out, she held it over a small cup and squeezed the olive. It made a squirting noise and some liquid came out. At this rate, t_his'll take forever!_

Running out of patience, she poured all the olives out and put it in a bowl. Then finding a spoon in the drawer, she proceeded to pound the olives into oblivion. _This is kinda fun!_

Five minutes later, Cagalli poured the juice over the yogurt/milk/sour cream sauce. Looking at the paper, she took the onions and started to cut them. _My eyes are tearing up! Ack! I can't see! Evil onions!_

In the end, Cagalli wore her helmet of her space suit to prevent the fumes of the onions from getting in. _Improvise is the key to go! _

**-+-+-+-+-+-+Scene change-+-+-+-+-+-**

Luna felt her eyebrow tick. _Is this girl for real!_

The whole group plus Isabel I'm-so-important Chapa decided to go shopping. Now Luna loved to shop…maybe not as much as Meyrin, but still what girl doesn't like to get cool things?

What really made Luna annoyed was that Isabel would only talk about herself and what she would look good in and what looked horrible on others. She kept saying whatever the others picked out was hideous and what she got was much better.

"Do you think Mr. Zala will like me in this?" She asked as she held up a tight looking strapless violet dress.

Yep…Luna felt like banging her head on the wall…repeatedly.

"It looks ok." came Lacus's polite reply.

Meyrin pretended to gag behind Isabel's back and this caused Stellar to giggle. Isabel pinned a glare on the soft spoken blonde and went to the desk to pay for her dress.

The guys were sitting not far away on a waiting area. All of them looked tired and were surrounded by bags, most of them Isabel's.

Lacus sighed and looked at her watch. "It's been three hours."

"Three hours and twelve minutes!" Shinn yelled across the store. "Can we **_go _**yet? I mean…even you girls don't shop this much…that Rep. is making us stay here!"

Stellar shook her head. "We'll leave soon, Shinn." She said as she sat down next to her. Her feet were killing her. Why did she decide to wear heels today?

Kira was lying on the provided couch, napping. He had dozed off an hour ago. Lacus sat next to him and poked him in the cheek, causing him to wake up. "We're going soon, after Miss Chapa is done with her purchases."

"Cagalli and Athrun better appreciate what we're doing for her." Luna said and the others couldn't help but agree. They sacrificed a lot for their two friends. Luna was about to sit next to Rey, who had bought a book and was already almost finished, but Isabel returned with three new bags for their collection.

"Come on everyone. Honestly…you would think that war veterans would have more stamina." With that she dropped her bags for the guys to hold, brushed back a long lock of dark purple hair and went to the next store.

"Why us…" Shinn said as he eyes the heavy looking bags warily.

They all sighed, got up slowly, and followed the representative.

**-+-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+-+**

Cagalli had successfully added the chopped onions to the "sauce" and took off her helmet. She defrosted the peas using the same method as before and mixed it into the thickening…stuff.

She chopped some garlic and sprinkled it over. _Now…all I need is the paprika. What is that?(_AE: If you don't know what that is…it's a spice which is in the form of red powder).

Looking at the various jars and packages on the shelves, she came out empty handed. Panic started to set in and she tried to remember what paprika could be. _I remember eating the chicken with red powder on it…maybe…it was hot sauce?_

Deciding that hot sauce was better than nothing, she took out a bottle and squirted the liquid over it. _Phew! I'm done with the sauce. Now I need to pour it over the chicken and bake it. _

After doing exactly that, she set the timer to 30 minutes and returned to the recipe. _Fried rice time…_

_**-Cook rice by coiling it in water**_

_**-Add egg over**_

_**-Brown the ground beef**_

_**-Add chopped carats and cabbage.**_

_**-Add salt.**_

_**-Stir-fry it all.**_

"It sounds simple enough." Cagalli muttered to herself as she took the proper ingredients. Next, she put rice into the water, she waiting for it to boil.

After chopping the carats and cabbage without problems, she decided to get around to "browning" the ground beef.

_Eh? Brown? But the beef is pinkish! What does she mean!_

Shrugging it off, she tossed the meat into a pan and waited for it to cook.

Closing her eyes to relax a bit, she leaned on the counter. Cagalli was pushed out of her calm state when she heard the sound of sizzling water. Turning around, she almost had a heart attack when she saw that the forgotten rice was apparently done. _It's going to stick to the bottom!_

Rushing over to the stove, she snatched the pot off, turned off the fire (Lacus had written instructions on how to use the stove step-by-step…it was very helpful.) and tried to scrape the rice onto a bowl. Some came out and some stayed in. _Grrr! I need to get this rice out!_

Scraping the pot like no tomorrow, she managed to get a majority of the rice out. Now, it was time to stir fry everything.

Turning the fire back on, she put all the ingredients in. Cagalli took an egg contemplated on how to break it open.

_I have a feeling that if I use a knife to cut it, things will turn ugly…_

Taking a deep breath, she knocked the egg on the counter, and surprisingly, it opened. Cheering in victory she added it to the pan and did it with three more eggs. Wiping her brow, she sighed in relief and picked up the spatula.

Cagalli stood there for a few seconds, content with just moving the stuff around. But then…disaster struck. A loud popping noise sounded and Cagalli felt a sharp pain on her arm. _…What the heck!_

More popping sounds followed and Cagalli's eyes widened in disbelief when she saw that the egg caused the oil to pop. She flinched every time she was hit. Screaming in fear she ducked as more "sparks" flew out. Using her reflexes acquired from the war, she thought quick and grab a pot lid. It served as a good shield and she blocked the threats, while at the same time, trying to reach around and stir the rice.

She laughed in triumph when the sparks died down. "Who wins now!" Cagalli did a little victory dance. But she paled when she turned and saw that she completely forgot about the **_very _**browned beef.

_Well…you win some you lose some…_

**Five minutes later… **

Cagalli had deposited the very pathetic looking friend rice onto two plates, one for her and one for Athrun.

As if on cu, the timer for the oven rang and she rushed to get the chicken out. Peering down into the dish, she stabbed the chicken with a toothpick. _Good, it didn't bleed, so it's cooked. _

Although the chicken looked cooked, the sauce was another matter. It looked…well to sum it up…it looked pasty. Cagalli groaned and tried to stir the stuff around to make it look less thick. _There's nothing else I can do about it…_

Scooping equal amounts of chicken and sauce out on top of the rice, she sighed in relief when she saw that her main dish was done.

_Lacus mentioned something about making a salad…but I used all the cabbage for the rice and there's no other vegetable that resembles something in a salad!_

Cagalli looked around the refrigerator and came out with four plump tomatoes. Eyeing them curiously she wondered if there was such this as tomato salad.

**15 minutes later…**

Cagalli dusted her hands off and looked proudly at the table, which she set just now. On it, were two settings of pasty chicken over very brown friend rice, two glasses of juice, and what looked like a bowl of salad turned ketchup. _It'll have to do. _

Glancing at the clock, she made a shocked noise and realized that Athrun was supposed to come right then and there was no time for her to change.

Panicking, she thought of her messy hair with bits and pieces of vegetables in it, her cheeks, which were smeared with tomato and olive juices, and her arms were covered in yogurt.

"C-cagalli?" Athrun asked in disbelief.

Cagalli's head shot up and her eyes widened. Athrun stood there, in dress pants and a collared dress shirt. She looked down at herself and saw that she was still wearing the pink, frilly, and polka dotted apron. _Oh dear God…_

"Er…Hi Athrun!" She laughed nervously and motioned for him to sit. Instead he walked to her side with an amused look on his face and pulled out her chair for her.

Athrun sat down and looked at the food. He felt himself pale slightly. It looked somewhat edible…but…was it?

Looking at Cagalli's hopeful expression, he shoved that thought aside and smiled.

"Thank you, Cagalli…it looks…wonderful…yeah…" he trailed off.

"Try it!" She said enthusiastically.

He nodded slowly and gulped. Picking up his fork, he speared a piece of rather tough chicken and tried to cut it with his knife. Either the knife was very weak, or the chicken was hard as a rock. Athrun had to apply extra pressure to his knife to cut it.

He slowly put it in his mouth and froze. Let's just say it wasn't the best thing he had eaten. Cagalli looked at him with her head tilted to the side and waited for his reaction. She hadn't touched her share yet.

"…..mmmmmmmmm" he said with the chicken still in his mouth and a fake smile on his face. He tried desperately not to grimace. To tell you the truth, he was scared to swallow it.

"Is it good?" the blonde princess asked eagerly.

Athrun swallowed and toke a big gulp of juice to get the taste out of his mouth. "Y-yeah! It's great. Real interesting flavor…what exactly did you put in here?"

Cagalli, who looked like she was glowing with happiness when he complimented her food, winked and smiled. "It's a secret."

_And it should be kept a secret._

Athrun laughed nervously and noticed that Cagalli was still staring at him with big golden eyes.

"…yes?" he asked.

"Aren't you going to eat more?" she asked innocently.

Athrun paled a bit. "Er..Yes! Eat more! That's what I'll do…" Taking a deep breathe, he got some rice onto his fork and put it in his mouth. _Ohh man…what **is **this stuff!_

Coughing slightly, he took another drink and tried to smile. "Er…good stuff…"

Cagalli, sensing his discomfort, frowned. "You don't like it, do you?"

"What! No! Of course I like it!" came his quick reply. Too quick if you ask me.

"You can just say it! It tastes horrible, doesn't it!" Cagalli raised the volume of her voice. "Well, Athrun! I spent all afternoon slaving in the kitchen and you don't even appreciate it!" By now she was yelling. Uh oh…

Athrun started to panic. "No Cagalli! I appreciate it!"

"I don't want to hear it!" She got up and attempted to stop away but Athrun got up quicker and grabber her wrist. He pulled her and she stumbled back into him. Still angry at him, she refused to look at him and tried to get out of his hold.

"Cagalli…" he said in a calm voice.

"What!" she asked angrily. She did a lot to get that meal prepared and it hurt to know that he didn't like it. It hurt a lot. Maybe more than it should have. What Athrun thought mattered more to her than anything.

"I won't lie to you. To tell you the truth, you're meal isn't the best, but and I don't really like it." Athrun said seriously.

Cagalli felt like crying but she knew that she was supposed to be strong and masked her hurt feelings with anger.

"Well I'm sorry if it doesn't meet your standards, Mr. Zala!" She turned around and faced him, her cheeks red with anger, and her eyes teary looking…not that she'd ever admit that she was about to cry.

"But…" Athrun cut in as his grip on her elbow tightened. "I love it either way because you made it."

That shut Cagalli up. She stared back into his jade-colored eyes. "So you're saying that it's bad but you like it anyways…"

Athrun nodded slightly and offered a small smile. "The thought itself counts more than anything and I'm very grateful that you took the time to make it. I'll finish that whole plate if that's what it takes for you to understand how much I appreciate it."

Cagalli blushed and looked away shyly. "I guess I kind of lost my temper, huh?"

Athrun laughed and wiped off a smear of tomato juice on her cheek with the back of his hand. "You're unbearably cute either way. Come on…let's eat."

Cagalli smiled and nodded.

They both sat down and Cagalli noticed that Athrun ate the food in content. She smiled slightly and ate a big mouthful of her rice.

Only to spit it out seconds later, coughing. Athrun was next to her in a blink of an eye, with a concerned look on his face, while he patted her back.

"Cagalli?"

"Gah! That's the nastiest stuff I've ever eaten in my entire life! I can't believe I made that!" Cagalli took a big drink of the juice and stuck out her tongue.

Athrun just stared with wide eyes.

"No wonder why you had that reaction! This is like…like poison!" the blonde princess shuddered. Cagalli noticed that Athrun wasn't saying anything. She looked at him curiously and saw that his head was bent down, and his hair fell around, hiding his face.

Then she noticed that his shoulders started shaking.

"Athrun? What's the matter? I'm sorry I got mad at you…I didn't know how bad it tasted." She started to get worried. _Did I offend him? Maybe it's my food! I know for a fact that it can't be healthy._

She was forced out of her thoughts when she heard quiet noise. Peering at him she saw that he was _laughing!_

Athrun stood up and started laughing loudly. Holding his stomach in an attempt to suppress his laughter, but failing miserably, he stumbled a bit and landed on the floor, still laughing.

Cagalli couldn't help but smile. Soon, that smile turned into a chuckle and finally she was laughing with him.

Both the blonde princess and her blue-haired prince laughed until their stomachs hurt.

Exhausted and lying on the floor, side-by side, the two stared at the ceiling.

"This was an interesting evening." Cagalli remarked.

Athrun made a noise of agreement and closed his eyes. Cagalli looked at his relaxed expression and felt her heart warm. _I…I really love him don't I?_

Shocked by the thought, she sat up. Athrun stood up and offered her a hand to help her stand. Looking at the pathetic looking meal on the table, he smiled gently at the princess.

"How about we go out and eat?"

Cagalli nodded and smiled. _I guess things turned out ok after all…_

_**-+-+-+-+-+-Scene Change-+-+-+-+-**_

"I'll have the most expensive wine and the steamed lobster and a salad with light dressing." Isabel said to the waiter at the most expensive restaurant in town. She had dragged the group over there claiming that this was the type of food that she ate in Rutherland and that she must dine there.

The others sat looking tired and annoyed.

"I'll just have water and um…these free breadsticks are fine." Luna said pointing at the basket filled with them in the middle of the table.

The others nodded in agreement making the waiter look annoyed as well. He gave a curt nod to the group, and a smile to Isabel, who was good business.

"Geez…you guys are embarrassing. People will think you're poor." Isabel said as she looked around the table.

"Well…we don't spend money like there's no tomorrow, unlike you." Meyrin pointed out, earning a glare from the purple-haired girl.

"Plus, these breadsticks are kinda good." Shinn said as he munched happily on it. He was relieved that they were done shopping.

Isabel sighed in exasperation and mumbled about lower class people.

Luna was tempted to throw a breadstick at the representative's face. Heck, she even picked one up and raised her arm, but Rey plucked it out of her hand and took a bite, giving her a warning glance.

Stellar, who was bored out of her mind, dipped her finger into the water and started running it along the edges, making a high-pitched noise.

"Cool! Let me try!" Meyrin said and followed suit.

"That's interesting." Kira added and did the same.

Soon, everyone except Isabel, who was too dignified to so such childish antics, made high-pitched noises with their glasses. Even Rey did it, but only to annoy Isabel.

"Quiet!" Isabel screamed in frustration.

Everyone just blinked back at her and stared. "Why do they have to torture me with such people?" she mumbled.

Luckily, her food came and she ate in silence, occasionally sending a glare in their direction.

"I don't understand how Mr. Zala is your friend." She mumbled.

Everyone sighed and shook their heads.

Shinn summarized everyone else's feelings and by saying, "What a crappy evening."

**+-+-+-+-+-Scene Change-+-+-+-+-**

"Wow! It's so beautiful!" Cagalli remarked happily. At the moment, she and Athrun were sitting on a flat part of the roof of the Athha mansion, star gazing and eating fast food.

She took a bite of her hamburger and looked up at the sky in wonder.

Athrun looked at Cagalli and smiled. "I'm glad you're happy."

Cagalli nodded and ate a fry. "Who wouldn't be? I mean…I'm eating good junk food, sitting on a roof, looking at the stars with the most important person in my life."

Cagalli's eyes widened when she realized what she said. She stuttered and tried to explain herself but Athrun silenced her when he grabbed her hand and held it in his warm one.

He looked her in the eyes, and her breathe caught in her throat because of the unknown expression on his face. (AE: Gasp! Could that expression be…_LOVE!_ Too bad our stubborn princess doesn't know that…) "You are the most important person in my life as well. I don't think I could be without you." With that said, he put his arm around her waist and held her close.

"A-athrun?" Cagalli asked with a blush on her cheeks. He was acting very forward.

"Please, Cagalli…I know you said that we should stay friends…but just for tonight…can I hold you?

Cagalli was shocked by the sadness behind his words when he reminded her about her rejection of him. _Have I hurt you that much Athrun? I didn't mean too! I'm sorry…_

Of course her stubborn side never let her say her thoughts out loud. _I love you Athrun! But…I'm too stupid to say it to your face! Why!_

Cagalli nodded and looked up at him. In turn, he smiled sadly back at her…his eyes reflecting the hurt that he felt.

Cagalli felt her heart shatter. _I made you this sad?_

Feeling like a complete idiot, she decided to try and make up for it all by snuggling into Athrun and holding him around his waist. She felt so safe in his embrace and never wanted to get out of it.

She whispered a small "I'm sorry…" but he never heard it. It was lost into the breeze which blew by. The two sat on the roof, star gazing and lost in their own thoughts of regret and sadness. But they still had time…they still had time to correct their wrongs.

…**End of Chapter…**

**Note: My goodness! What a chapter! Haha well there you go? What did you all think? I tried to make it funny and light but then in the end, I kind of made it dramatic, don't you think? Ohh, well…it just sort of happened. Haha. Until next time, bye for now! **

**O yeah! And for those who voted for my deleted poll…I'll take into consideration about it all. Thanks for the feedback though…**


	8. Precious Gifts

**Note: Hello all! I'm back! Thanks a bunch for the reviews! I'm glad that there is some positive feedback! Please read and review! I appreciate it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny!**

"Hey Cagalli!"

Cagalli looked up from the dining table, where she was engrossed in a document and didn't notice people enter. Shinn, who had said the greeting, seated himself along with Rey, both wearing their Zaft uniforms. The only modification on it was a white pin in the shape of two intertwined vines, with a sun in the background, which served to represent peace between the countries. Rey nodded at her and said a quiet hello.

Cagalli smiled and was about to respond, but Kira, Lacus, and Athrun entered. She guessed that Kira found time in between his classes to come back for lunch, just like how Shinn and Rey had gotten away from their work at the Zaft quarters.

"I guess our three college girls didn't make it?" Cagalli asked as she put her documents away because it was time to eat.

Rey nodded and said, "Luna called and said she couldn't make it because she has to study, and Meyrin and Stellar decided to have a light lunch on campus. They're all sorry they couldn't make it."

Cagalli shrugged and didn't miss the worried tone of voice when Rey said his girlfriend had declined yet another meal in favor of studying.

"We'll see them when the get back then. But for now, let's eat. I'm starving!" Shinn said as he reached out and loaded his plate up.

The others smiled at how childish he could be and helped themselves to the food.

They ate in content, with light conversation. Cagalli glanced at Athrun, who was talking with Kira about the modifications for the project he was working on. She couldn't help but smile sadly. _When will I get the guts to tell you how I feel?_

After star-gazing on the roof, Athrun had told Cagalli that they should go inside because it was getting cold. She had a feeling that that wasn't the only reason. When they got inside, he thanked her for the meal and smiled a bit before saying goodnight and leaving her. Cagalli wanted to chase after him and tell him that he was stupid for being sad and there was no reason because she loved him…but being the stubborn girl she was, she just sighed and went to her room. What was she going to do?

Athrun looked up from his conversation with Kira, sensing that he was being watched, and made eye contact with Cagalli. He raised an eyebrow in question and she just shook her head and smiled. He smiled back and was about to say something, but then, the sound of heels walking towards them could be heard.

In walked Isabel, clad in a designer business suit, her hair curled and pinned up. "Hello everyone!" she said in an arrogant voice.

Cagalli frowned. _Looks like my lunch is ruined._

She sat right next to Athrun, who nervously scooted his chair a bit closer to Kira. The purple haired representative smiled widely and turned to him.

"Hello Mr. Zala! I was looking for you this morning, but you seem to have vanished. I hope Miss Cagalli isn't working you too hard. If that is the case, I would be happy to have you as _my_ advisor."

Cagalli narrowed her eyes and the others felt like rolling theirs. Shinn started muttering about annoying purple pests.

"No thank you, Miss Chapa. I am very happy with my current position...I was just…er…busy this morning working reading over something." Athrun said politely. In truth, he had been avoiding her and even ran into a closet when he saw her approaching.

"Ohh, well maybe we can go out together this afternoon! I think we would have a wonderful time." she said as she spooned some food onto her plate. It was from a lidded plate, which she ordered the kitchen staff to make just for her.

"…actually….um…"

"He's busy." Cagalli cut in. Athrun sent her a grateful look.

"Aww! But I'm sure Mr. Yamato or even Mr. Za Barrel can handle it for him!" Isabel pouted while Kira and Rey looked at her skeptically. Shinn snorted and continued to eat.

Isabel continued with a pout. "Well…I guess I could always go shopping on my own then…after all I finished all my duties in the morning..." Isabel looked at the documents that were placed near Cagalli and smirked. "…which I'm sure others haven't with theirs…"

Cagalli wanted to throw her baked potato at her but resisted the temptation.

"Anyways…I hope you don't mind, Miss Athha…what with me being the only one here representing Rutherland, if I send for company. I am _very_ homesick and would like to have a familiar face around. I hope that they can stay here." Isabel, picked up her fork and scooped up some food…which had a suspiciously yellow shade to it…not that she noticed.

_Eh! Another one! Geez…whoever can keep her company must be a brave soul…Wait a minute...keep her company…yes! This person can keep her busy so she won't annoy us._

"I don't mind. There is plenty of room." Cagalli said politely and the others looked at her in surprise. They expected the blonde princess to reject the idea.

"Not really." Isabel mumbled but covered it up with fake laughter. "Thank you, Miss Athha." She said mockingly. "Even if you weren't going to give me permission, that person would have come anyways…they should arrive within the week."

The others tensed as they waited for Cagalli's reaction to the implied insult. But, much to their surprise, none came.

Isabel smiled triumphantly, thinking that she won at their little game. She wanted payback for being degraded in the meeting. Deciding that she wasted enough time talking to lower people, she took a big mouthful of the food…

…and turned a deathly shade of white. The others looked on curiously while Cagalli just sat back with a secretive smiled on her face.

Isabel spit out the food into a napkin and took a big drink from her glass.

"What **_was _**that!" She demanded between coughing. She turned paler and stood up. "It tasted awful! I think I'm going to be sick…" And without another word, she ran out of the room faster than anyone could blink.

The others just sat in silence.

"What just happened?" Shinn asked, eyeing the Representative's plate warily.

"Let's just say…I decided to be nice and let Miss Chapa have a _taste_ of my hospitality." Cagalli said.

She and Athrun made eye contact and seconds later, both burst out laughing, an unspoken understanding between them.

"Did I miss something?" Lacus asked. The others just shrugged.

**Scene Change**

In the kitchen…the cook saw that the left-overs that were in the refrigerator the night before, were apparently gone. He thought that someone must have thrown them away because it was emitting a very unattractive smell of rotten bananas and sour milk.

**Scene Change**

Meyrin and Stellar sat in the outdoor café while eating sandwiches. Both had tried to get Luna to eat with them, but she had refused and rushed off to the library saying she would get some chips on the way.

"Man! It's been so boring lately. Last night was so tiring and annoying. I can't believe that representative dragged us around. I'm never doing that again." Meyrin said with an annoyed look on her face. She took a big bite of her sandwich.

Stellar nodded in agreement. "Yeah…my feet are still hurting…I wore tennis shoes today, but I'm going to have to dance later and I don't know if I'm up for it."

Both girls kept eating in silence.

"Say…Stellar?" Meyrin asked after a while. She looked at her blonde haired friend with an uncomfortable look on her face.

"Hmm?"

"W-what's it like to be in love?" Meyrin asked shyly.

Stellar smiled knowingly and had a bright expression. It was no doubt that the blonde dancer was thinking of her messy-haired boyfriend.

"It's…it's like a wonderful waltz…" came the serene reply.

"Eh? Waltz!" Meyrin asked giving her friend a weird look.

"When you're in love…you feel like the other person swept you off your feet…It's like you're gracefully living life together and there's no one else but you and you're partner. Even if you stumble, he is there to help you back up and you can keep dancing to the music that only you two hear…" Stellar sighed. She had a far away look on her face.

Meyrin smiled gently. "That's a nice way to put it..." Her gentle smile turned into a grin. "Although…with Shinn dancing, I think there'd be a lot more stumbling and a lot less dancing."

Stellar giggled and nodded. "I still love him either way so it doesn't matter."

Meyrin sighed. "You're so lucky."

Stellar put a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "Don't worry…you'll find someone. He's probably out there waiting for you."

Meyrin winked. "He better be!"

Both girls laughed and got up to walk around the campus. Meyrin's attention was caught when she heard the distinct sound of a motor. Turning, she saw that across the street, was motorcycle which just parked itself. The owner, who was wearing baggy jeans with chains hanging from it, and a black unbuttoned shirt with a brown undershirt, took off his helmet, and Meyrin could have sworn she lost her breathe. Standing there was a boy who looked about a few years older that her, with long, dark purple spiky hair, which messily framed his face.

Meyrin paused as she watched him walk across the street while examining a piece of paper, not really noticing his surroundings. Stellar paused as well and looked curiously at her frozen friend.

"Meyrin…?" she asked slowly.

Meyrin wasn't paying attention. She was too busy looking at the stranger's handsome and boyish face. She didn't realize that he was coming closer, until he walked right into her, causing the pig-tailed girl to stumble back.

"**_Gah!_**" Meyrin braced herself for the impact of the sidewalk, but it never came. A hand had reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could do so.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't watching where I was going." Came a voice.

Meyrin looked up and a cute blush found its way on her face.

"Er…it's ok…" she mumbled.

"Anyways…do you know where I can pick up my schedule? I'm new here…" he said while letting go of her arm and stepping back.

"Um….it….at…er…" Meyrin couldn't form a sentence. She just kept staring and stuttering. The stranger started looking at her like she grew two heads.

Stellar, being the good friend that she was, stepped in to save the day.

"Schedule pick-ups are at the library…that's to the right and into that building." She said while pointing in the direction.

He nodded his thanks and without a further look at either of them, proceeded to go to the library.

Meyrin just stood there speechless.

"Hey…are you ok? Your brain seems to have turned to mush." Stellar said as she poked Meyrin in the arm.

"…I think I found my dance partner…" Was the only reply that Stellar got.

**Scene Change**

"Almost there…."

At the moment, Cagalli was standing on a ladder, trying to replace a burned out light in her study. Everyone had left to do their own things after lunch with Shinn and Rey returning to work, Lacus contacting the council in the PLANTs for a conference, and Kira driving back to the university to teach. Athrun had said something about going out and Cagalli had the suspicion that he wasn't telling her something. _Oh well, I'll get it out of him later. Now, my priority is to get this stupid light bulb screwed into the stupid….er…light bulb holder thing…_

Cagalli tried to reach higher, but she was too short. _Damn…who designed this ceiling to be so high anyways!_

Growling in frustration, she attempted to stretch her arm as far as she could but it proved useless.

"Need some help?"

"**_Gah!" _**the sudden sentence had shocked her, causing her to almost lose her balance. Flailing her arms around frantically, our surprised princess would have fallen if she didn't grab onto the top step and hold on for dear life.

"I thought I told you **_not _**to do that!" she said after her heart rate returned to normal. She was amazed at how many times he was able to catch her off guard.

Athrun just laughed and came up to her. Gently, he pried her arms away from her death grip on the ladder and helped her down.

"Let me do it." He got up on the ladder and screwed in the bulb without a problem.

Cagalli grumbled about taller people from her place sitting cross-legged on the carpet.

Athrun sat down next to her and leaned back until he was lying on the floor. "So…what are you going to do now?" he asked while staring at the ceiling.

"Actually…Lacus says she wants to take me out…I'm not sure for what though…"

Athrun smiled. "That should be fun." _Good…It gives me time to get what I need…_

At the same time, Cagalli thought…

_I'm actually scared for my life…I don't want to know what Lacus has planned._

"Er..yeah…fun…"

Cagalli looked at Athrun curiously. "What do you have planned today?"

He, answered her with a grin. "That's for me to know and you to find out." He winked while Cagalli pouted.

"Don't play games with me, Athrun Zala!" she said while crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"But if I tell you, it ruins the surprise." he said while standing up.

"Surprise! I get a surprise!" Cagalli's face brightened at the thought causing Athrun's heart to warm. He was happy that he could make the princess so happy.

"Yup…so don't go trying to figure out what it is…" he said as he got ready to leave.

"Fine…but it better be good…or else!" she jokingly shook her fist in the air.

Athrun nodded. "It will be." He waved a bit and left.

Cagalli sat back down and looked at her ring. _I get a surprise! Wonder what it'll be…_

_**Scene Change**_

Luna sighed for the fifth time in a row. She was so tired but refused to give in and stop studying. Looking down at the very thick book on laws and government, she highlighted and took notes. _I need to pass my exams! It'll all be worth it in the end. Maybe after I can go see Rey…I think he gives some piano lessons nearby…_

She smiled happily at the thought and worked harder.

"This seat taken?" Came a voice.

Looking up from her work, she saw a guy with dark-purple spiky hair. He had a stack of books in his hand.

"No." She said and returned to her work, not really affected by the interruption.

She kept thinking about spending time with Rey and an idiotic smile came on her face.

"Is studying really that interesting cuz you're smiling a lot…"

Luna jumped in surprise. She had forgotten that there was someone at her table.

She smiled politely. "Actually…no…but I've been stuck here all day and I need some motivation to keep it up, so I think of happy things."

He studied her intently, and finally nodded after a while. "Say…are you studying to become a lawyer?"

Luna looked up at him with her big violet eyes, her highlighted poised in mid-air because she was about to get back to studying.

"Yeah I am…my exams are next month."

"Really…I'm studying law too."

Luna had to raise an eyebrow at this. They stranger wore sunglasses on top of his head and what looked like motorcycle gloves. She could see that he had on a metal beaded necklace and chains on his jeans.

"I know I know I don't look like the type." He smiled when he saw that she was staring.

Luna laughed slightly and apologized for staring. Being the friendly person that she was, she got along with most people and didn't feel uncomfortable around this stranger.

Luna returned to her work and after a while was engrossed once again into the text.

"Tai…Tai Isuki."

Luna looked up confused.

"That's my name…not that it's important or anything…I just said it to get your name." he winked at her jokingly.

"Oh…I'm Lunamaria Hawke…"

"Nice to meet you Lunamaria Hawke." He said while reaching across the table to shake her hand.

Luna laughed slightly. He seemed like a person who joked a lot. Always happy to have friends, she shook his hand.

Luna got back to reading. Looking at the very complicated sentence, a confused look crossed her face.

"Need help?" Tai asked. Luna was startled yet again. _Is he just looking at me or something…why does he keep asking me questions?_

"I've studied law for the past three years…even during the war, I found time to study." He added after as an explanation.

"Er…yeah actually I do." She showed him the passage and asked him to interpret it. He did and she gratefully took notes.

"Thank you." She said as she got up to leave. "It's already four o'clock and I need to meet someone."

"No problem." He said easily, getting up as well. "I'm always willing to help a pretty girl." He winked again.

Luna laughed and brushed off the thought that he might have been flirting with her. Not that she cared anyways.

They went outside together and Luna turned to him and smiled. "Nice meeting you…bye!" she turned to leave. She wanted to get out of the campus quickly to see Rey. Tai called out to her.

"See you in class! I think we have the same professor."

Luna waved a bit and proceeded to take the bus to the piano studio where Rey taught. _I guess I made a new friend. _

_**Scene Change**_

Kira waited on the park bench. Glancing at his watch, he saw that he was early in meeting Athrun. Suddenly, his cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hey there." Came the familiar voice of Lacus.

Kira smiled brightly. "What's up?"

"Well…I'm out with Cagalli right now…she's in the restroom. But I need to know what kind of present Athrun would like."

"What are you planning, Miss Lacus?" He asked jokingly.

"Me? Ohh…I'm just helping your stubborn sister pick out something nice for the love of her life. He deserves a present…I mean he's been able to handle her for some time now." She said jokingly.

"Hey! I heard that!" Cagalli's offended voice was heard in the background. Apparently she came back from the restroom.

Kira laughed and thought a bit. "Well…I think anything Cagalli gets will make Athrun happy. He isn't stuck up or shallow and he'll understand that Cagalli went to get him something because she cared. He'll appreciate it either way. Plus, Cagalli should know what to get him. Have faith in her…she can think of something great."

Lacus was silent for a moment. "You're right, Mr. Yamato." She said jokingly. "Why do I have such a smart fiancé?"

"Because that fiancé is lucky to have someone like you to love him." he said back sweetly.

Lacus laughed in her melodious voice. "I have to go now...Cagalli looks like she's getting frustrated because she can't think of anything. Love you…bye!"

"I love you too." Kira said.

"I'm guessing that was Lacus?" Athrun said, startling the brown-haired boy. He stood a few feet away. Jokingly he raised an eyebrow. "Unless you're having some sort of affair…then I'd have to tie you up and let Cagalli beat you."

"How long were you standing there?" Kira asked afraid of how much Athrun heard. He didn't want to ruin Cagalli's surprise.

"I just heard the last part of your conversation. Is there something I'm not supposed to know?" he asked casually as Kira got up to walk with him toward Athrun's car.

"N-no." Kira laughed nervously. "It was just Lacus checking up on me. She's with Cagalli."

Athrun nodded in understanding. "Well the reason why I asked you here is because I got Cagalli a present. I want to show it to you and see what you think of it

Athrun took out from the back seat a 12-inch by 5-inch glass case.

They both sat and Athrun gave it to his friend to see. Looking in, he saw that it was a delicately crafted crystal rose. The stem reflected a green light and the rose reflected different shades of red. There was silver and gold lining. It rested in a velvet pillow inside the case.

"Wow….it looks really nice." Kira said as he took it out gently to examine it. "This must have cost you a fortune…the light reflected off makes it look like a mirage."

Athrun smiled and gently placed it back into the case. He then put in a bag lined with tissue paper.

"You think Cagalli will like it?" he asked.

"Of course. She may not act girly, but we all know she has a soft spot." Kira said.

Athrun smiled…an excited feeling in his stomach at the thought of giving Cagalli such a nice present. _She's like a precious rose…_

**Scene Change**

Rey sat in small piano studio next to the piano as a little boy, who was seven years old, played a simple song. The owner of the place was an elderly man who used to play the piano for an orchestra. He decided to retire and set up a place where people could get lessons and buy pianos. The man, Mr. Jennings, took a liking to Rey and let him use the place to give lessons. Rey respected the older man greatly and got along well with him. Mr. Jennings trusted Rey to look after the place and left for the evening.

"Good…now repeat the parts that you have trouble with…this section right here." Rey said as he pointed out what needed improvement.

The boy nodded and flashed him a childish smile. "I'm getting better, aren't I, Rey?" he asked excitedly.

Rey nodded proudly and returned the smile. "With practice, you'll be able to finish this song and go onto harder ones."

"I want to play that really hard one that you play! I want to be as good as you!" he said happily.

"I'm sure you will…but let's focus on this song first." (AN: This is so OCC…but hey! The war's over! Let Rey relax a little. ).

As little Timothy (AN hahahaha such a cute name for a kid!) played his song, Rey sensed someone had been watching. Turning, he smiled at the sight of Luna, still in her uniform, leaning against that wall and observing the scene with a relaxed expression.

She waved and put her heavy looking books and bag down onto the table. Rey frowned when he saw that she looked really tired and even a bit thinner than normal.

Luna closed her eyes and listened for another 15 minutes as Rey finished up the lesson and handed Timothy a chocolate bar as reward for concentrating so hard.

"Thanks Rey! See ya next week! Bye Luna!" Timothy yelled as his mother picked him up.

Rey and Luna stood side by side at the entrance of the store and waved as the car drove off.

"He's a cute kid." Luna said as she leaned against her boyfriend's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Rey made a noise of agreement and took Luna back into the store. She sat down on a chair and watched as he packed up all his belongings to go.

"How was your day?" Rey asked while turning off the lights in the back room.

"Just like any other day…tiring and filled with lots of reading and note taking." Luna yawned.

"You should go to sleep early today. You look really exhausted. Rest and study when you're more refreshed."

"…no…I have to study tonight too…" came the sleepy and stubborn reply.

"Luna…" Rey said sternly as he placed his music books into a drawer. "You need to stop trying to study so much and take care of yourself…did you even eat today? When I say eat I don't mean a snack…I mean a full meal."

"Uh….no…." Luna said looking away from her boyfriend's stare in guilt. She had promised him earlier that day that she would eat something. _I'm in trouble…geez how did he know that I didn't eat!_

"Lunamaria Hawke…when we go back you are going to eat two servings and sleep right after. I won't let you do anything other than that. It wouldn't be good if you just fainted in the middle of your test. Just space yourself out…you can't keep doing this to yourself." Rey said as he grabbed his briefcase.

He was met with silence.

"Luna?" he asked curiously as he went up to his unusually quiet girlfriend.

Bending down to her level, where she sat, he peered into her face and saw that she had dozed off when he was lecturing her. He sighed affectionately in exasperation.

_If you won't take care of yourself, then I will…_

Rey picked up Luna and walked to his car, intending to take her back to the mansion and let her sleep comfortably in her bed.

**Scene Change**

Cagalli sat on the bench which was outside a clothes store and ruffled her hair in frustration. Lacus sat next to her and sighed.

"Still haven't thought of anything yet?" she asked the blonde princess, whose hair was sticking out at odd angles due to the constant ruffling.

"I don't know what would be the perfect gift! I can't seem to think! I want to get him something that just isn't store bought…I want to get him something special!" Cagalli said while banging her head with her fist to think.

Lacus smiled knowingly and looked up at the now setting sun. It was about five in the evening and they had to get back soon.

"At least the sky is beautiful." The pink-haired girl mumbled and was startled when her friend jumped up from the bench.

"That's it!" Cagalli screamed, startling her friend, as well as the passing shoppers. Some threw her weird looks.

"What's it?"

"Remember when we visited the memorial a few days ago?" Cagalli asked eagerly.

Lacus nodded slowly, her eyes wide, waiting for Cagalli's idea.

"Well…I remember Athrun commenting on how nice the sky was!" Cagalli said as Lacus got up. "I have an idea of what to get him…Come on! There's no time to waste. It's getting late."

Lacus stood up along with Cagalli. "Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"You'll see! Come on…I don't want to get there after it closes."

**30 minutes later…**

Cagalli and Lacus emerged from the store, talking happily. It was already dusk and everything had a shadow cast over it from the rapidly setting sun. Cagalli held a wrapped package. She was feeling very confident that she thought of the perfect gift.

"It looked very nice." Lacus said and Cagalli nodded in agreement.

She was about to say more, but she sensed something. A nagging feeling had been bothering the princess all afternoon but she forgot it when she got her inspiration for the gift.

Lacus was busy chatting happily to Cagalli, oblivious to the fact that she had suddenly gotten quiet.

Cagalli tugged on her friend's sleeve slightly, causing her to stop talking.

"Lacus…I don't want you to panic…but I think we're being followed." Cagalli said quietly as they walked down the street. There weren't many people present and if there were, they were hurrying home.

Lacus gasped and looked at Cagalli in fear.

"What do you mean?" she whispered back.

"…Call Kira now." Is all the princess said as they kept walking. They noticed that they were now walking in an unusually deserted street. Lacus quickly took out her phone and dialed Kira's number.

"Hello?" came his voice. Lacus immediately felt relieved.

"Kira? Cagalli and I are at the shopping plaza at downtown near tenth street. Can you pick us up?"

"Sure, Athrun and I will be there."

"Ok thanks…it's just that-"

Lacus was cut off when Cagalli abruptly grabbed her hand and pulled on it, hard.

"**_Run_** Lacus!" screamed the blonde as they heard approaching footsteps about half a block behind them.

"Lacus! **_Lacus?" _**Kira yelled worriedly into the phone, which Lacus dropped when Cagalli pulled her.

Cagalli and Lacus ran as fast as they could.

"What do we do!" Lacus asked frantically as they tried to find a safe place to hide.

"I don't know! I don't even know what they want!" Cagalli said back. This wasn't good. Lacus wouldn't be able to defend herself if they got caught. Cagalli would have to protect both of them, not that it would be that big of a problem…but still she didn't want to take any risks. What if the attacker was trained in combat?

They quickly ran around the street corner and their pursuers lost sight of them.

"Let's hide in that alley!" Cagalli said pointing. She quickened her pace to get to the destination.

She didn't notice an uneven part of the pavement and went crashing down to the ground.

"Cagalli! Are you ok!" Lacus asked in concern as she rushed up to her.

Cagalli cursed as a pain shot through her ankle. _This isn't good…_

"I think I sprained it…" she said while trying to get up. _Oh God…how will I hold them off if we get caught!_

"Quick…into the alley!" Lacus helped Cagalli, who was limping, hide.

Cagalli stood with her back against the wall and a piece of wood in her hand which Lacus found in the dumpster nearby. Her pink-haired friend stood next to her, eyes wide in fear. Both were breathing hard.

They tensed as they heard approaching footsteps.

Cagalli measured the distance and pace that the person was approaching. _Now!_

When she heard that they were close enough, she stepped out a bit from the ally and swung the piece of wood as hard as she could into the attacker's legs, causing him to grunt in pain and fall over.

Cagalli was about to hit him again, but he was faster than she expected, ducking away from the weapon, and knocking it out of her hands. This caused Cagalli to stumble back painfully on her ankle.

Lacus hurried to Cagalli's side and kneeled down next to her. "Are you ok?" she asked, eyes filled with worry. Cagalli nodded.

"What do you want?" she demanded to the stranger as Lacus helped support her.

The attacker said nothing. His face was covered with a cloth across his mouth and nose. He was dressed completely in black with a black hat to hide his hair. He looked like some sort of modern ninja.

Cagalli braced herself as the he advanced toward them. She shoved Lacus behind her and slowly stepped back, until they were backed against the dead end of the alley.

"We can scream, you know." Lacus said from behind Cagalli.

The man kept advancing, not even responding to what they were saying.

Cagalli narrowed her eyes. She held onto her present for Athrun tightly.

The man lunged at them with impressive speed. But Cagalli ducked out of the way, while Lacus threw herself in the other direction to avoid being caught.

Acting fast, Cagalli spun around and brought her elbow down onto the attacker's shoulder. His hat fell off in the process to reveal wavy brown hair.

He grunted in pain but still didn't say anything.

"Lacus **_run!" _**Cagalli screamed taking the opportunity to get at least one of them to safety, but she seemed to be frozen, still sitting in the place she had lunged to.

Cagalli's eyes widened when she saw that Lacus's arm was covered in blood. The nasty scrape started from her upper arm and ended at her elbow. _She must have skidded along the pavement…_

The man, deciding that Cagalli was more of a threat, charged at her, with his fist raised ready to strike…Cagalli tensed. Her ankle was throbbing with the strain put on it.

Before his fist could find its way to her face, she lifted her precious gift for Athrun and blocked the blow. It cracked under the pressure and Cagalli fell, landing on her bad ankle.

Hissing in pain, she saw Lacus pick up a heavy looking rock and with concentration threw it at the attacker. It hit him in the head, and he touched the offended spot. Cagalli could see blood on his fingers. He turned to Lacus, who stood about three feet away, clutching her injured arm.

Cagalli groaned. _Why did she stay! Now he's going after her!_

Cagalli tried to get up as the attacker advanced on Lacus, who backed away while looking around for an escape.

He was a foot away from her and Cagalli felt her heart beat faster in fear for her friend.

She tried to stop the attacker, but it wasn't necessary. Two shadows emerged from the entrance of the alley.

One grabbed Lacus out of the way, while the other tackled the attacker to the ground.

In the light of the street lamp, Cagalli saw that it was Kira who had gotten Lacus out of harms way. _That must mean that Athrun is fighting with the guy right now!_

Cagalli watched the pair struggle on the ground. Obviously she wasn't giving this guy enough credit because Athrun wasn't able to detain him so easily. She guessed that he was going easy on her and Lacus because they were girls.

Athrun, who had gotten the upper hand, was about to punch the attacker, but, he surprised the blue-haired coordinator but kicking him off and putting his hands on the ground, and back flipping back into a standing position. He looked at Athrun and Kira and decided that it was too hard for him to finish so he reached into his pocket, threw what looked like a smoke bomb, causing Athrun to shield his face. They could hear footsteps echoing away and when the smoke cleared, there was no one in sight. _What is this guy! A Ninja!_

Athrun got up quickly and went over to Cagalli, who was still shocked by what had happened.

"Are you ok?" he asked with concern. He gently examined her ankle when he saw that she held onto it tightly.

Cagalli sighed and nodded. She was so scared that they wouldn't be saved.

"I think I sprained it." Cagalli said as she tried to get up. She hissed in pain and stumbled a bit into Athrun, who held her steady. Cagalli saw an unknown expression cross his face. It looked almost like…guilt…

Not far from them, they heard Kira freaking out and asking Lacus about her arm. Cagalli saw Lacus smile gently and say it wasn't life threatening. Kira seemed to go into over protective mode when he saw that his fiancé was bleeding.

"Let's talk about this when we get back. We shouldn't stay here long." Athrun said. Cagalli picked up the ruined present for Athrun, which looked dented, while the others weren't looking and wrapped her arms around Athrun's neck, leaning against his shoulder, as he lifted her up

Kira nodded and put his arm around Lacus's waist. The pink-haired singer just leaned into him. The four of them went back to Athrun's car and drove back.

_What a day…_

**Scene Change**

Cagalli groaned and opened her eyes. Blinking a couple of times, all her friends came into view. _I must have fallen asleep during the car ride home…_

Athrun, who sat next to her on the bed handed her a glass of water. She gratefully drank it while observing her surroundings. Sitting on the end of her bed, she saw Lacus, with a bandaged arm, and Kira who held her close, still somewhat fretting over her injury.

Stellar, Shinn, and Meyrin sat on the carpeted floor, looking up at them with neutral expressions. Rey leaned against the wall and hugged Luna from behind. She leaned back against him but watched Cagalli with a concerned look on her face.

Cagalli looked at Athrun in question and he smiled slightly. "They all know what happened. Lacus told us." Cagalli nodded in understanding and looked at her ankle, which was wrapped in a stiff bandage.

"The doctor stopped by while you were sleeping." Kira offered as an explanation.

"I see…" Cagalli sat up straighter and then looked serious. "This wasn't any random attack."

The others tensed as they waited for her explanation. "The attacker was dressed in black and he was following us all afternoon. I could sense that someone was watching."

Lacus's eyes widened in realization. She had no idea they were being followed.

"Why didn't you go home then?" Shinn demanded, for once not joking. He seemed just as worried as the others about his two friends' safety.

Cagalli sighed. "There was something important I needed to get done."

She and Lacus exchanged glances.

"I'll ask Kisaka to get some people to investigate it…but it was too dark to see who attacked you." Athrun said.

"It sounded really scary…I hope you're ok." Meyrin said.

Cagalli smiled at her friend and nodded. "It's over with. Good thing Athrun and Kira made it on time. I don't know how much longer we could have held him off."

"The important thing is that both of you weren't seriously harmed." Stellar said quietly and the others had to agree.

"But…it was strange…I don't think he wanted to hurt us…more like kidnap." Cagalli said to the others.

"You see…" she continued while thinking hard. "…he was obviously skilled enough to get away and fend off Athrun, but he let Lacus and I put up a fight. I'm sure, with the disadvantage of my ankle, he could have easily hurt us more that we already are…I think there was a bigger reason behind it."

"It must be because you are the leader of Orb and Lacus is very influential in the political world. Both of you are famous and easy targets." Rey said logically and the others took into account what he said.

Luna got out of Rey's embrace and stretched. With a careless smile, she said, "Well…for now, there's nothing we can do, can we? It's not like we have any leads to who would attack you. Although I'm sure there are a few…what with the protests and all…but the range of suspects is too wide…I think I'm going to sleep now. Good night everyone."

Everyone got the meaning behind the magenta-haired girl's words that they should leave Cagalli and Athrun alone to talk.

Once the door was closed and only the two remained, the room fell into an uneasy silence.

"So…." Cagalli said, trying to get him to talk. For some reason, he was quiet.

"Cagalli…" he said seriously which stopped the princess from talking. "I…I was so afraid that you were hurt. I was scared to see what I would find while we were driving towards the plaza. If we didn't make it in time…I don't want to know what would have happened.

Cagalli looked at his face intently and noticed that he looked very stressed. It showed the worry that he felt.

"Athrun…it's ok. I'm safe now…" she said touched by his concern.

"Why do I have to be so stupid!" he yelled out, fists clenched at his sides.

Cagalli's eyes widened in surprise. Athrun had never seemed this angry. _What's going on? _

"Y-you were in danger and I was almost too slow! If I didn't come in time…What if next time I can't protect you!" By now, Athrun had raised his voice. Cagalli was momentarily shocked by his outburst. Usually Athrun was very calm.

"I didn't think that anything would happen as long as we were in a public place…I needed to get something done." Cagalli replied after a while. She realized that he had yelled at her because he cared for her. "It's no one's fault…if anything, it was mine for staying out even though I knew…"

"I-I'm sorry Cagalli…You would have never been hurt if…" Athrun's voice cracked with emotion. He ignored her last words.

"Don't be stupid!"

_Is he for real? The stupid idiot saved me and now he's blaming himself!_

Athrun didn't look her in eye, as the annoyed princess glared at him.

"How can you say that Athrun! You've always protected me in the past, and I know that you'll keep on protecting me! Don't kick yourself over this…you didn't do anything wrong!"

Athrun shook his head. "If anything…it's you who has been protecting me…" He touched his chest, and Cagalli knew he was talking about the pendant she had given him during the war. Athrun continued sadly. "You've always helped me…you let me stay in Orb when even despite my actions in the war…you saved me…"

Cagalli grabbed Athrun by the arm and tugged on it.

"It's a mutual relationship, you big idiot! You protect me and I protect you! You think that you haven't done anything for me! You've helped me everyday that we've been together! I don't think I could run this country without you! Who else do I get advice from by someone I trust! On top of that, I know that you would protect me with your life! I would do the same, but I know you'll never let me…So stop blaming yourself!"

Cagalli took a deep breath and attempted to calm herself. Athrun remained quiet.

"You don't know how oblivious you are!" she said and reached onto the nightstand and grabbed her present for Athrun. Apparently, someone had left it there, she guessed it was Lacus.

Thrusting the thin and dented package into the blue-haired coordinators arms, she continued with her rant. "Do you want to know the reason why I was out there today and refused to come home until I was finished! It's because I needed to get this!"

Athrun looked at Cagalli with an unknown emotion. He kept his mouth shut and looked at her…cheeks red in anger and frustration.

Slowly, he opened the package. In it was a simple but elegant picture frame, with platinum and gold lining. The frame had decorative carvings and on the bottom right corner, were two roses with intertwined stems. Of course, the glass was cracked, but it didn't matter. The picture itself and the engraved note on the bottom of the frame was what caught Athrun's attention.

It was a picture of the day they went to the memorial. After they had eaten, the others had insisted on taking one of the pair. Cagalli leaned on Athrun's shoulder, with a cute blush on her face, while he put his arm around her. They smiled happily and it looked like they had no worries in the world and nothing could stop them as long as they were together. Athrun gently picked away the broken glass pieces to get a better look at the picture, still somewhat speechless by the present.

He then looked lower and saw the message that Cagalli had engraved on the frame.

…_We can always lean on each other…_

"It was taken that day…at the memorial…I…I wanted to get in framed and give it to you…to let you know that no matter what, I'll always care about you…" Cagalli said quietly.

Athrun looked up and was shocked to see tears running down her beautiful face.

Cagalli shook her head forcefully, and tried wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. "But…now it's ruined! I wanted to give it to you tonight! I wanted to tell you that I loved you then, I love you now, and I always will love you! I never wanted to hurt you, Athrun…"

Cagalli couldn't stop the tears now. _Stop crying! He'll think you're weak! _

"It's just that…I was scared before…I was scared of the affect you had on me… It feels like you have a hold on my heart, as cheesy as that sounds." Cagalli sniffed...her eyes watery.

Athrun had been quiet a long time. Cagalli started to get worried. She knew something was wrong. _Maybe he doesn't love me back! I mean…I've rejected him before…what if he rejects me now? _

Cagalli turned her head and looked at the carpeted floor to avoid his gaze. "I'm sorry…" she whispered softly. "I understand if…if you don't feel the same."

"Cagalli look at me." Athrun said seriously and this made the princess want to run out of the room. _He's going to tell me why we can't be together._

Cagalli lifted her head and was shocked when Athrun leaned forward and kissed her right on the lips. Cagalli's eyes widened but the feel of Athrun's lips on hers made her close her eyes and kiss him back. She felt very warm now. Being with Athrun always made her feel this way. But this kiss was unlike the other ones that they had experienced together. This one promised that they had a future together. Cagalli couldn't be more happy. In fact, she wanted to jump around in joy, but then that would mean that she would have to stop kissing Athrun and she obviously didn't want that.

Athrun slowly let go of her shoulders and stopped the kiss. He stared into her golden eyes and wiped away her tears with his hand. She was still blushing from the kiss.

"You asked me how I could be so stupid…well I'm wondering why you are as well. I've waited for you to be ready this whole time and you think that I don't care anymore? That would be pretty hard, considering that I love you." Athrun said gently as he pulled her towards him and hugged her.

Cagalli looked shocked. "Athrun...I-"

He let go of her, which stopped her from talking. "I'll be right back." was all he said as he ran out of the room.

Cagalli just sat there, blinking. Soon after, Athrun returned with white bag and Cagalli sat up straighter, curious with what it was.

He handed it to her and smiled. "To my princess."

Cagalli laughed and wiped her eyes. They were still somewhat teary.

"Don't call me princess." She said and smiled up at him.

Athrun brushed her bangs from her face. "But can I still call you mine?" he asked with a teasing wink.

Cagalli blushed, her eyes wide. She hit him in the arm playfully and returned her attention to the package.

Pulling it out of the bag, she gasped when she saw a glass case, inside looked like a crystal rose. Her fingers ran over the smooth glass. Quickly, she opened the case and gently took out the rose, which reflected against the light. It looked beautiful. Cagalli smiled and placed it back into the case. Setting the box aside, she looked up at Athrun.

"What do you think?" he asked her. She had put the present away rather quickly and he wondered if she liked it.

His answer was given when Cagalli threw her weight on him in a hug, causing him to fall over onto the bed.

"I love it." is all she said.

Athrun smiled. "I'm glad you do…I love the gift you got me too."

Cagalli looked at him in confusion. "But it's broken! That jerk tried to punch me and I needed it to block the blow."

Athrun just looked at her in amusement. "It doesn't matter. I love it because you gave it to me. That's all that matters."

Cagalli nodded and rested her head on his chest. "I'm sorry." She said suddenly.

"For what?" Athrun was genuinely confused by this statement.

"For rejecting you before. I must have hurt you, huh?"

Athrun laughed quietly.

"I was hurt, yes. But I knew you would come around." Athrun said jokingly.

Cagalli stuck her tongue out. "I'm serious Athrun….I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize. Like I said before, I understood. I was willing to wait for you. It's not your fault. So stop feeling bad. I would take the pain so that in the end I could be with you." Athrun smiled.

Cagalli smiled back and yawned a bit. Today had been a stressing day. First, running around shopping, then being attacked by some person in black, and finally pouring out her feelings to Athrun. _I finally stopped being stubborn and told him…_

Cagalli couldn't be happier. She and Athrun were going to be together. Yawning again, she leaned onto Athrun and started to drift off to sleep.

"I love you, Athrun." She mumbled before completely blacking out.

Athrun smiled and kissed her forehead.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to hear that." He whispered even though he knew she was asleep. He took her left and looked at the ring he had given her.

_I'm glad I waited, Cagalli…_

…**End of Chapter…**

**Note: WOW! That was a LONG chapter…and I had a hard time trying to type what I wanted. Athrun and Cagalli are finally together! This should satisfy some reviewers! YAY! But…don't think this story is done! Actually…it's far from it! I still have more to the plot. But I hope that everyone liked how I made Athrun and Cagalli admit their feelings…hope it wasn't too cheesy. **

**O yeah...and Tai Isuki…hum…new character! You'll find out more about him later…**

**Look forward to Isabel's reaction when she finds out about out favorite princess and prince being together! Fun stuff! Well until then…bye! **

**And sorry if there wasn't much humor…I used it all up in the last chapter**


	9. Developements

**Note: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for not updating as fast as I usually do but what can I say? I've been busy with other things. Anyways…I'd like to thank all the reviewers! Your comments mean a lot to me! Please read and review this chapter! Thanks!**

**Oh..on a side note.. There was one anonymous reviewer who was very rude. Now..I don't mind constructive criticism…but what you said just demonstrated your lack of intelligence. First of all…there was no need to cuss at me. Second of all..if you didn't read the summary…THIS IS AN ATHRUN AND CAGALLI STORY. Not a Kira and Cagalli one. I'm sure there are other stories on here with that pairing but not this one! Nothing annoys me more than people who get angry if their couple isn't the one they want. I'm sorry if I sound mean but if you don't like the pairings, don't complain or just don't read it. Thank you. **

**Also to Aikoo: Right now Lunamaria's behavior in the series isn't the best. I don't like when she chases after Athrun but she is still my favorite character.**

**To hay lin- thanks for the reviews, here's the new chapter. Hope you like it.**

**Everyone else I really appreciate your reviews, but I don't have time to comment on each. But don't worry! All of them make me smile! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny**

"**_Finally!" _**

Cagalli smiled nervously at her friends' excitement. Currently, Lacus, Luna, Stellar, and Meyrin were in her room, all had wide smiles on their faces. They had just found out about the news that the blonde princess and blue-haired prince.

"We're so happy for you!" Meyrin exclaimed happily. She was practically beaming.

"It's about time." Luna said jokingly and patted her friend on the shoulder. "I knew our help would pay off."

Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "Help? You guys tortured me with your swishy skirts and frilly shirts! You made me wear **_make-up _**and those annoying shoes with numerous straps! And to top it off…you all made me cook, which nearly resulted in poisoning him!"

The other girls sweat-dropped and avoided contact with the fuming girl. The way she said it made it sound like they were no help at all.

Lacus laughed. "Well…we did help you. You would have never had those chances to be with Athrun had it not been for us who..er…forced you to be more aggressive about your relationship."

Cagalli calmed down a bit and sighed. "Fine...well, I guess I should thank you then, huh? Even though you guys made me do all those crazy things, you still had the right intentions."

"Would you take back everything you did if you had the chance?" Stellar asked with curiosity.

Cagalli smiled at all of them. "Not for anything in the world."

"See…we did help you a lot." Meyrin said.

The blonde princess pulled on one of Meyrin's pig tails with friendly affection and nodded.

"Wow..." Luna muttered. She had a dazed look on her face.

"What?" everyone looked at the magenta haired girl waiting for an explanation.

"Now that Cagalli's with Athrun…we have nothing to do. Everything is gonna be boring because we can't think of new plans to get them together. I had some pretty creative ones too." She mumbled something about a hot aired balloon and violins.

Cagalli paled a bit…good thing she was already with Athrun…she wouldn't need to do anymore ridiculous things.

"It's ok, Luna." Lacus said with a smile. "We can still give Cagalli advice when she needs it."

Cagalli cleared her throat loudly in an attempt to change the subject. "Er…so how are you, uh…all doing with your boyfriends?"

Stellar giggled at the lousy and obvious attempt but answered the question anyway. "I think we are all doing fine. But…Meyrin has found a new _love interest." _

Cagalli snickered as Meyrin blushed. "Who's this new guy? You'll have to bring him over here so we can test him to make sure he's good enough for you."

"Ohh, stop it…I don't even know his name. All I know is that he drives a motorcycle, goes to the university, and is the hottest person I have ever seen." Meryin sighed and leaned back on the bed.

"Too bad your brain turns to mush whenever you see him." Stellar said, earning a glare from the red-head.

"I'm sure you can get his attention." Lacus said gently which made Meyrin look happier.

"If not, we can knock some sense into him." Luna added afterwards. The others laughed and Cagalli smiled at her friends' behavior. They were always there to look out for one another. It was really nice and she felt grateful that she had such good friends.

"Let's go downstairs. Maybe we can see what the guys are doing." Lacus said as she got up. The others followed suit. Stellar helped Cagalli stand up. Her ankle was still bandaged and she had to walk with a limp.

"Yeah, I need to congratulate Athrun and wish him luck on handling you as a girlfriend." Luna winked and dodged the pillow aimed at her face.

"Why does everyone say I'm hard to handle!" Cagalli asked in frustration with her hand son her hips.

"Because you **_are!" _**all four girls yelled back from the hallway.

The dejected princess sighed and followed them out while muttering about being unfairly numbered.

**-+-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+-+**

"Really! So you're finally together with Cagalli? Good Job! I knew you had it in you!" Shinn said as he jokingly slapped Athrun on the back.

Athrun smiled at the comment and Kira laughed in amusement.

"You better treat _my little sister _right…or else you'll have to answer to me." Kira winked.

"Of course I will. But...your little sister claims she's your _older _sister. If you say that to her, _you'll _have to answer to her."

Shinn, who was lying on the carpeted floor looked up and grinned. "Want some man-to-man advice?"

Rey snorted. He was sitting on the couch, with his laptop out and typing up some reports.

"Don't even bother to listen…whatever he says about women is useless. It's a miracle that Stellar can actually put up with it."

Shinn glared at his blonde friend and threw one of Meyrin's conveniently placed stuffed animals at him. Rey caught it with ease and set it down, while never taking his eyes off the screen.

Athrun watched in amusement.

"But anyways, we are happy for both you and Cagalli. I have no doubt in my mind that you two will be perfect together." Kira said and the others nodded in agreement.

Athrun smiled. "Thanks."

They sat there in content, with Rey still typing, Shinn watching T.V., and Kira and Athrun going over plans for his project. Overall, the atmosphere was very relaxing. If only things could stay this way…

**-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+**

The girls walked down the hallway towards the living room where they knew they could find the guys. Stellar was giggling while Meyrin told her about the embarrassing things Shinn went through during the Zaft Military Academy.

Cagalli was about to ask Lacus about an upcoming meeting, but didn't get a chance to because at that moment, Isabel Chapa (AN: HAHAHA she's BACK!) marched out of a room talking in her cell phone ahead of the group. She had yet to notice the girls who were a good distance behind her.

Cagalli heard bits of her conversation.

"What! But **_Daddy! _**Why didn't it work! You said it would!" said angrily into her phone.

Isabel paused and Cagalli guessed that she was listening to her father's reply.

"Yes I know! Ok…fine. I can wait…yes, everything is fine here…I know that you are sending him…I understand…I'll try not to lose my temper. Alright…I miss you too…good-bye." Isabel clicked her cell phone shut and straightened her skirt.

She paused and as if sensing something, turned around to face 5 pairs of wide and curious eyes. Stunned for a bit, she just stared back.

Cagalli blinked. _Damn! She caught us… wait a minute! It's not like we were spying…it was by accident anyways. _

Lacus was the first to get out of her frozen state and walked forward with a polite smile.

"Hello Miss Chapa. We were just headed towards the living room to sit. None of us wanted to bother your phone conversation so we decided to keep quiet until you were finished."

Isabel nodded stiffly and the others reluctantly caught up to her and Lacus, and they continued walking.

"So…Miss Chapa…when is your guest coming?" Lacus asked. She was the only one willing to talk to her stuffy representative.

"Today…That is what my father just told me." Isabel replied shortly. She turned to Cagalli and smiled arrogantly.

"Miss Athha…how is your ankle? You seem to have a bit of a limp. I didn't think a princess as _dignified _as yourself could be so clumsy. It is a shame. I _do _hope that it gets better soon."

Cagalli felt her temper rise. She really wanted to slap there girl but knew that it would be very immature on her part, and could raise scandals in the news.

"My ankle will get better soon. Thank you for your kindness, Miss Chapa, but I didn't acquire the injury through clumsiness." Cagalli said through clenched teeth.

Isabel smirked and opened her mouth to say more, but Luna interrupted her very loudly.

"Hey Look! The guys are there!" The group of girls stood on the open flat of the stairs and they could see down into the living room.

At the sound of Luna's loud and cheerfully exaggerated voice, all four boys looked up, startled.

Isabel gave a gasp of surprise and a bright smile made its way onto her face…the obvious reason being that Athrun was standing in the room looking at them with wide eyes. Stellar rolled her eyes along with Meyrin, as the representative rushed down the stairs as fast as her 2 inch heels could let her.

Athrun, braced himself and waited for what everyone knew was coming. He paled when he saw the purple-haired and overly affectionate girl charging towards him. _Oh dear God…_

"Mr. Zala! I'm so happy to see you!" She smiled slyly at him and immediately touched his arm once she was close enough.

Athrun forced a smile. "H-hello Miss Chapa."

"Let the fun begin." Shin mumbled as Stellar went up to him. She pecked him on the cheek and leaned on his shoulder.

Cagalli felt her blood boil. This _girl _was all over her _boyfriend! _

Lacus, sensing tension walked over to Kira, where she knew she would be safe from any confrontations. Kira smiled gently at her and Lacus returned it.

Luna grabbed Meyrin and pulled her around the fuming Cagalli who faced a clinging Isabel and uncomfortable Athrun. She pulled her sister to where Rey sat and they both sat down with excited smiles. Isabel would finally be put in her place. Everyone couldn't wait!

Athrun tried to take Isabel's hand off of his arm, but she held on tightly. The girl had a strong grip. It was almost as strong as Cagalli's.

"Let's go somewhere today! I really want to take you out, Mr. Zala. I'm afraid we haven't had a chance to get to know one another and I want us to be _good _friends." Isabel said as she winked up at him and pouted.

Cagalli's face was red as she watched the haughty representative try to seduce Athrun.

Athrun shook his head. "I'm sorry Miss Chapa, but I do not want to go out with you. Can you let go of me please?" He was trying to act polite. Cagalli knew that Athrun could never be hostile to a girl. It would be his downfall.

"Ohh, you silly! You're joking right? I mean…in Rutherland, _all _the men of high status were always trying to take me out. But none of them were ever as _attractive _as you are…"

Meyrin mad a disgusted face and Luna started coughing in an attempt to cover her disbelief. Stellar shook her head in exasperation and Shinn rolled his eyes. Everyone thought the same thing. _This girl is very full of herself. _

"I'm flattered…but you see, Cagalli is my-"

Isabel cut him off loudly. "Miss Athha! Oh I'm sure she won't mind letting me borrow you for the afternoon. It's not as if she owns you. I'm sure she is fine by herself here. I think that she needs to concentrate on running Orb. I mean…since she has so much trouble…she'll have to concentrate hard and not be disturbed. Plus, she has all these other _friends _to keep her company." Isabel said the word "friends" like it was a disease.

Cagalli had had enough! First it was going onto Athrun. Then it was insulting her and finally she insulted her friends.

Cagalli made a noise of frustration, marched over to the pair, knocked Isabel's hold off of Athrun and pulled him to her, much like the same way she did the other morning.

"I've had enough!" She yelled angrily. Athrun smiled at his fiery princess.

"Miss Chapa! I want you to **_get your hands off_** Athrun! He is already taken! I am sick of you going onto him in such a shameless manner! I guess all that perfume and make-up is stopping you from understanding that he **_does not like you!_** There is no use in trying to flirt with him! If you keep persisting in such a manner you will have to answer to me, his **_girlfriend!_**" Cagalli took a big breathe and she watched as Isabel paled at the mention of Athrun and her in a relationship.

"And also, you need to stop insulting me and my friends because we don't deserve it! We all want to act nice to you but you're making it damn hard to because of your arrogant and annoying behavior! The only reason why you are even allowed here is because you are representing Rutherland. Now…act like a representative should or you will be asked to leave!"

Isabel stood there, her facial expression matching a gapping goldfish. She looked like she got slapped in the face. Everyone watched as she blinked a few times to try to get out of her dazed state. She looked like she had the shock of the lifetime. Cagalli wondered why it was so shocking. Knowing the representative's behavior she wondered if any one had ever told the girl off.

Shinn whistled. "Way to go Cagalli!"

The others smiled and Meyrin cheered happily.

Athrun smiled at his girlfriend, who had been breathing hard from all of the yelling, and hugged her from behind. This caused her to calm down a bit.

Isabel regained her composure by now and stood up tall. "Is this true, Mr. Zala?" she asked quietly. Her dark purple eyes looked at them steadily.

Athrun nodded. "Yes…Cagalli is my girlfriend and I love her."

"Awwwwww **_mmmph_**!" Luna said loudly but Rey covered her mouth with his hand. "I don't think that was appropriate." He said. She just winked back at him.

Isabel took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and it seemed like she was trying to compose herself. Everyone expected the arrogant representative to get angry and storm off while yelling and screaming, but none came. She plastered on a smile and showed everyone how diplomatic she could really be.

"I see. Miss Athha, I am terribly sorry for my actions. Please forgive me. It's just that I usually get carried away. I did not realize my mistake. I do not want to give Rutherland a bad name. Please accept my apology. I will try and back off." she finished with a bow and everyone looked in surprise. _What was going on? _

Cagalli looked at the representative with uncertainty. How did she change her attitude so quickly? Did her outburst have _that _great of an affect on her? _I don't get it. Well…she is a representative so she was taught how to act diplomatically but this is ridiculous. Her attitude completely change! Maybe she just doesn't want to give Rutherland a bad name like she said…_

Cagalli quickly composed herself when she felt Athrun hold her tighter. Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked at Isabel. "I…I accept your apology. Just please try to remember what I said. I hold nothing against Rutherland."

Isabel nodded and turned to everyone else in the room. "I would also like to apologize to you all. There is no excuse for how I acted."

Everyone shifted and didn't know how to react. After a while Lacus smiled politely and nodded. "It's ok." Kira looked at his fiancé and she just smiled back at him. _There is no need for hostilities…_

"Thank you." Isabel said in a neutral tone. "With that said…I am going to go to my room to make a call. My guest will be arriving sometime today and I need to have a talk with my father, who is the leader of Rutherland."

She turned and left leaving everyone else bewildered.

"What just happened?" Shinn asked.

"I…I don't really know." Cagalli said while turning to face her friends and getting out of Athrun's hold. "I guess there is more to Miss Chapa than meets the eye. She was able to change her personality and actually act civilized…I think there is a lot we don't know about her."

"Appearances can be deceiving. But she acted ok so I think we should too…we don't need unnecessary tensions." Rey said seriously.

Stellar blinked a bit. "Well…why don't we worry about her weird attitude later." The blonde dancer turned her eyes onto Cagalli. "I think that was really sweet how you saved Athrun from Miss Chapa." This caused the princess to pause with wide eyes. _Oh boy…let the embarrassment begin.._

"What you said was really awesome" Meyrin said causing Cagalli to blush and mumble something about losing her temper and not meaning to be so loud.

"Yeah…you told her off and everything. That's right, Cagalli! Stake your claim on your man!"

"Luna! You're embarrassing her." Athurn said. His cheeks were a bit red as well.

"Congratulations to both of you. I'm glad you're together." Kira said, stopping all teasing, as he intended. Cagalli smiled gratefully at him and nodded. But that was short lived when Lacus spoke.

"So when do you two plan on getting married?" Lacus looked innocently at the pair, her big blue eyes shinning with amusement when Cagalli started choking and turning red, while Athrun blinked in shock.

"Uh…er…m-married!" Cagalli asked with wide eyes.

Lacus laughed happily. "I'm just kidding. I know you two are probably not ready yet, considering that you just got together. Although…it would be nice."

Cagalli sighed. "You guys need to stop teasing me."

Everyone laughed and sat down to talk and spend time with one another.

Cagalli shyly leaned on Athrun's shoulder. He smiled at her and pulled her closer as they watched Meyrin and Shinn bicker about something while Stellar tried unsuccessfully to stop her boyfriend. At the same time, Lacus was trying to calm the red-head. Apparently they were fighting over the T.V. remote.

Cagalli tried to stifle her laugher when she heard Rey sigh and mutter about his students, who were children, being more mature than them. When Meyrin tried to tackle Shinn in an attempt to get the much prized remote, Kira and Stellar had to pry her off of him. Luna went up to both of them and gave each a good pinch before picking up the remote and turning it to the news. After, she handed Cagalli the remote and told her to protect it with her life. As for Shinn and Meyrin; both acted like sulking children with Stellar trying to smooth Shinn's ruffled feathers and Lacus sighing in exasperation at Meyrin.

Cagalli and Athrun made eye contact; both reflected amusement in their eyes. Seconds later, they both burst out laughing at their behavior and pretty soon, everyone, except a dejected looking Shinn, and a miffed Meyrin, joined in.

Cagalli stopped laughing when her attention was caught by what the news reporter was saying.

"_There have been many protests in small countries near the east. As you can see behind me, everyone is screaming for help after the war. People are rioting because they say that there is no one helping to reconstruct their country and after a war which the bigger countries, they say, started. Why isn't there help being sent to these places in need? Many people are curious as to why there is no aid being sent, since there was a United Peace and Reconstruction Council set up for that specific purpose. Authorities say that there will contact the Council about this…"_

Cagalli's eyes grew wide. What was going on? Hadn't they held a meeting about sending help to those areas last week? Everyone had agreed to help. Weren't there supposed to be special programs to aid the reconstruction?

"What is this about!" Cagalli asked loudly.

"I…I don't know…" Lacus said with uncertainty. She seemed just as shocked. They had made sure not to neglect any country in the planning process.

"Those governments of the countries will probably be contacting here soon. We'll need to straighten a few things out." Athrun said with a look of concentration. He was thinking of possible reasons why the programs didn't help. Or maybe…the programs never started in the first place? But…there had been documents saying that they were doing fine.

"Maybe the programs are started, but the governments didn't get the aid somehow. What if something intercepted it?" Athrun asked everyone.

"Or the governments may have prevented the help from reaching the public." Kira said and everyone tensed. If that was true…it meant that there might be more hostilities.

Cagalli scratched her head in frustration. "Hopefully that's not the case. If it were true and the governments weren't cooperating, then it would wipe away all the optimism and confidence the public has in peace. What we worked so hard for will be shattered and people will start to feel insecure. When that happens, they act recklessly and call for solutions that are no help at all…such as war."

Everyone stayed silent as they contemplated the princess's words.

"That might not be the reason though. The problem could be in Orb. After all, aren't the headquarters for the reconstruction programs located here?" Shinn asked everyone seriously. They noticed his joking manner was gone. Whenever he needed to be, Shinn could be just as serious and contemplating as Rey. "What if false information is being sent to you saying that everything is going smoothly…but in fact, it may not."

Cagalli bit her thumb in worry, her forehead creased as she thought. "But…wouldn't people notice that the programs weren't working? I mean…I think you would notice if multiple crates of food and supplies never moved from the warehouse…"

Lacus shook her head. "There are ways to hide the crates. It isn't that hard…but we shouldn't jump to conclusions yet. At the council meeting next week, we can discuss it and get more details."

Cagalli sighed. "I guess nothing does every run smoothly in life, huh?"

"Well…that's what makes life more interesting, doesn't it? Don't worry Cagalli…we'll all help you with this problem. Let's just relax until then ok? No use worrying until we have straight fact." Cagalli smiled slightly at Luna as she said this.

"Yeah! That's what friends are for!" Meyrin added cheerfully.

Shinn snorted and looked at Meyrin in disbelief. "If you're willing to get Cagalli with sorting out international problems because she's your friend…why couldn't you help _me _by letting me have the remote because I'm your friend too?"

Before Meyrin could reply Stellar lightly smacked Shinn on the back of his head at his childish behavior and laughed as he rubbed his head. "That's enough."

Cagalli laughed a bit, but her face still showed the worry she felt. Athrun went to her with a look of concern and brushed away her bangs affectionately.

"Don't worry, princess…we'll all help you. Let's all just enjoy the time we have together…its rare ever since school started for the girls and we all had to get back to our duties." Cagalli nodded and smiled as he kissed her forehead.

"You're right. And how many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me princess?" Cagalli asked jokingly.

Athrun opened his mouth to reply but the ring of the doorbell made him pause.

"Who could that be?" Kira asked curiously.

"I don't know…" Cagalli replied just as confused.

"Wasn't the representative expecting a guest?" Stellar asked and everyone instantly knew who was at the door.

Cagalli stood up from her couch, as did the others to welcome the guest. _I wonder what craziness the guest will bring. _

Cagalli entered the front door area just as one of the maids had opened a door.

Cagalli saw a boy about her age step through the doorway wearing baggy kaki pants and an unbuttoned navy blue shirt with a white undershirt showing. The boy's long, dark, purple and messily spiked hair drew her attention. It was the same shade as Isabel's.

Cagalli noticed Meyrin stutter a bit and Stellar whisper to the stunned red-head but paid no attention. She stepped forward to great their guest.

"Hello. You must be the guest that Miss Chapa has invited to stay here. I am Cagalli Yula Athha, representative of Orb. May I please know your name?" She congratulated herself on being polite and diplomatic. Lacus's lessons were really paying off.

The guest grinned a bit. "Hello Miss Athha. I'm Tai Isuki. Isabel's my cousin. Her dad is my mom's brother. My dad sent me here to study while keeping Isabel company. Although…I'm not sure I'll enjoy spending hours shopping and carrying her bags."

Cagalli felt herself grin. He didn't seem so bad. In fact…he seemed very carefree and fun to be around.

"Believe me…we didn't enjoy it either." Shinn added.

"Ohh! Let me introduce everyone." Cagalli said and she did so right after. Tai took turns shaking hands and everyone decided that he seemed like a fun person who joked a lot. But when he reached Luna, a look of surprise came across his face, causing the others to be surprised as well.

"Lunamaria! You live here? Wow small world…" he said as he grinned at her.

"…Yeah…I do…Cagalli is one of my best friends…" Luna said. Meyrin, who was standing next to Luna, was staring at Tai, who seemed oblivious to the attention he was getting from the red-head.

"This is great! Now I have more chances to get to know you." Tai winked at Luna who laughed nervously but was still smiling. "We can help each other with studying too. I'm in luck…I get a cute study partner."

Rey looked at the new comer. He did not like where this was going. Sure the guy was nice and seemed to get along with everyone…but they could tell that he was flirting with Luna.

Meyrin paled a bit when she realized that her crush was flirting with her older sister. _Why isn't life fair! Man…He doesn't even remember me from the university. And they are already friends! _

Stellar, who knew how Meyrin felt about the purple-haired boy cleared her throat. "Why don't we all sit and I'm sure you want to unpack and meet your cousin, Mr. Isuki."

"Just call me Tai…Mr. Isuki is too formal for me. I can unpack later, if that's alright with you…I want to see Isabel before. Her dad wanted me to give something to her."

Athrun smiled politely at him. "Why don't we all sit in the living room and you can get a drink then. I'm guessing that you just arrived from the plane?"

They all started walking back and Tai answered Athrun's question. "Actually...no…I arrived a few days ago but I stopped by and visited some family friends and saw the university first. That's how I met Lunamaria. I was glad to help her with her studying."

Meyrin felt like throwing up…they were on a first name basis.

They made it to the living room and Cagalli sent a maid to ask Isabel to come.

"This is a really nice place you got here." Tai said as he looked around the nicely furnished room. "Actually…Orb is a nice place in general. Rutherland is kind of…_stuffy…_sometimes, if you know what I mean."

"Rutherland is not stuffy, Tai…I would hate to hear what your mother would say to you if she heard you." A bossy voice said.

All heads turned toward Isabel who just arrived. For once she didn't run up to Athrun and cling to him, but she had a frown on her face either way.

"Good to see you too, Izzy." Tai said jokingly.

Isabel glared at Tai. "Don't call me that. Honestly…you act like a 5 year old using childish nicknames like that."

Tai touched his heart and pretended to be in pain. "I'm _wounded_. My own cousin insults me."

Isabel snorted and shook her head. "It's not like I really wanted you here. The only reason why I'm not complaining is because daddy told me I had to. Anyways…what did he send me?"

Tai rolled his eyes. "I asked them to send it up to your room. Uncle Bob sent freakin' _three _cases full of presents for you."

"It's _Uncle Robert. _Don't degrade him and make him sound so unsophisticated. He _is _the leader of Rutherland after all." Isabel snapped at him.

Tai just grinned. "Like you calling him "**_daddy" _**makes him sound any better."

Meyrin giggled and Shinn try to hold in his laughter. Athrun looked on in amusement at the interaction between the two cousins.

Isabel fumed. "This is why no one in our family likes you." She hissed angrily.

Tai shrugged, unaffected by the insult. "Just go look at your precious gifts…I know your itching to see what _daddy dearest_ got you."

Isabel made a frustrated noise and mumbled about annoying cousins who shame the family. Before she left, she shot Athrun and Cagalli a frown, but didn't say anything else as she stomped away.

Meyrin blushed when Tai sat down next to her. She would like to think that he did because he wanted to be near her but in reality it was the only seat left. It didn't really matter. She was starting to like him…his personality was perfect to her.

"Sorry about that…Isabel and I don't really get along. But I think they sent me over here to get rid of me cuz I don't really get along with my family back home either…just my parents. The rest all think I disgrace the family name."

The others nodded in understanding. Kira smiled a bit. "It's ok…you don't have to always be with Miss Chapa. She tends to do her own thing and disappear for hours."

Luna grinned. "Yeah…disappear to go shopping."

Tai laughed and looked at Luna longer than he did the others. She didn't seem to notice, but the others, especially Rey and Meyrin did.

Cagalli noticed the strained look on Meyrin's face, as well as the cautious look of Rey's, _This should be interesting…_

Lacus smiled at everyone and got up. "If you all excuse me…I need to contact the PLANTs for a meeting. Nice meeting you Tai."

"I'll go with you." Kira said as he got up as well. He nodded towards everyone and the engaged couple left the room.

Athrun nudged Cagalli gently with his elbow, causing the blonde princess to look up at her boyfriend expectantly.

Athrun grinned at her and winked. "Would you like to go on a date with me, Miss Athha?"

Cagalli laughed a bit and raised her eyebrows. "When?"

Athrun grabbed her hand and tugged her up. "Right now."

Cagalli blanched. "**_Eh!_** B-but I have so much work that I need to do. And I need to set up a meeting with the Peace Council. It's not fair to Lacus. Also…I don't think it's a good idea to just leave Tai alone. I mean…it is his first day here. Isn't it rude to go out without-"

Athrun silenced the princess by placing his pointer finger over her lips. "Cagalli…calm down. First of all, you are ahead of your work and you know it. All those documents that you want to look over are for the next three weeks. Secondly, Kira is helping Lacus and I'm sure she can handle herself. Lastly, I don't think Tai will mind because he needs to settle in and it's not like he needs you to have fun around here."

"I don't mind, Miss Cagalli." He said jokingly. "I need too unpack anyways. Plus…Orb is a really cool place. I think I could go out and find something to do. Maybe I'll be lucky enough to have Lunamaria show me around."

Luna shrugged her shoulders indifferently. Meyrin, having enough of seeing her crush try to flirt with her sister, stood abruptly. She smiled slightly at Cagalli and Athrun.

"You two should go on that date. I mean you just got together and deserve some privacy. I think I'm going to go to study a bit. Please excuse me...Nice meeting you Tai." She nodded to the guest and tried not to blush when he grinned at her.

Everyone, except the forever oblivious Luna and Tai, who wasn't familiar with anything yet, noticed Meyrin's tense posture as she walked out.

Cagalli frowned a bit when she started putting two and two together. _Meyrin must be annoyed because she likes Tai but he flirts with Luna. _

Rey who was somewhat annoyed by the newcomer's advances towards his girlfriend, stood up as well. "I need to go to work soon. You too, Shinn. We'll see you all later tonight."

Shinn made a noise of protest while Stellar patted his back sympathetically.

Luna stood up as well. "I'll walk you out to the car. Then I think I'll go study…" Rey gave her a stern look, which she returned. After a minute, she sighed and shook her head in exasperation. "Fine, fine…you win. I'll relax today and keep my studying to a minimum." Rey smiled a bit. He and Luna said their good-byes to Cagalli, Athrun, and Tai, and left towards the front door, with a reluctant Shinn and a quiet Stellar following.

Tai got up carelessly and stretched. He stared a bit out into the hall where he saw the group's retreating backs and sighed. Cagalli could tell he was looking at her cheerful, magenta-haired friend but decided not to comment on it.

Tai shook out of his daze and grinned lazily. "I'm gonna nap now. It's been a tiring day." He yawned a bit. "It was cool meeting everyone. You all seem like a nice bunch."

Athrun and Cagalli smiled and asked a maid to show him his room. Before leaving, the purple-haired boy waved a bit and winked. "Have fun on your date!"

Cagalli blushed in embarrassment, while Athrun laughed quietly.

After a minute, she turned to him and smiled. "So where are we going?"

Athrun grabbed her hand and winked teasingly. "It's a surprise."

Cagalli laughed and punched his arm playfully. "You just like to keep me guessing, don't you?"

Her only reply was when Athrun abruptly hoisted her in a fireman's hold. Cagalli gasped in surprise and when she regained her composure, started to beat on his back while kicking her legs and screaming like no tomorrow.

"Put me down, Athrun! This is embarrassing! What if someone sees! Are you listening to me! Put me down or else!"

Athrun just kept walking towards his car, not really affected by the struggling princess.

"Like I said, Princess, I like to surprise you."

He unceremoniously dumped her into the passenger seat.

Cagalli was about to go all out and give him a piece of her mind, but Athrun bent down and kissed her on the lips, causing her to blush a deep red. He pulled back slightly, but was still close to her. "I was just teasing you Cagalli. No harm done. Plus, getting this reaction out of you is always fun."

Cagalli stuttered a bit and when no words formed, the miffed princess sat back in her seat and decided to ignore him. Athrun laughed and shook his head at her childish attitude. He got into the driver seat and thought of ways to get his girlfriend to talk to him again. She was always a challenge.

"Cagalli-"

He was cut off by an annoyed voice. "Just drive, Zala."

Athrun shook his head with an amused smile. "As you wish."

**-+-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+**

Meyrin sighed as she sat down on the grassy hill in the gardens. She placed her backpack and laptop next to her along with a bag of chips. She frowned a bit when she saw all of the homework she had to do. _My day just keeps getting better…_

Meyrin looked sadly up at the sky. She thought of all the events of the day. She was very happy that Cagalli and Athrun were finally together. But…

_Tai Isuki…_

She sighed again and tried to shake her head of the negative thoughts that entered her mind. She couldn't help but feel drawn towards him. Too bad he was so absorbed into Luna to care about her. _What does Luna have that I don't? _

This wasn't the first time that Meyrin faced this problem. She was always being compared to her older sister. It irritated her but she tried not to let it bother her since she knew that comparing siblings was natural. Plus, it wasn't Luna's fault that Tai was paying more attention to her. Meyrin had the feeling that her sister was so engrossed in her studies to even notice. To add to that she had been in a steady relationship with Rey for a while now.

Meyrin smiled a bit. _What am I worrying about? Luna didn't even show any interest in Tai…she was just being friendly…that's all. Now all I have to do is get him to notice me and then I can work from there. _

Meyrin's smile grew wider. She was becoming her cheerful self again. The red-haired took a deep breathe and turned on her laptop, ready to get some work down. She sat there typing fast for a few minutes, but was startled when she heard a voice.

"Hey there."

Meyrin looked up to see Tai with a grin on his face. He seemed to do that a lot.

Meyrin stared a bit, not really knowing how to react. Tai sat next to her and raised an eyebrow.

"You ok?" He waved his hand in front of Meyrin's face, causing her to snap out of her daze. "You're….Meyrin right?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yeah…" Meyrin wanted to kick herself. _Is that the most intelligent thing you can say? Come on! You can do better than that! You've dated so many guys after the war…what's wrong with you! _

Tai nodded and stretched out on the grass.

"So…er…what brings you out here?" Meyrin asked shyly. She felt herself get flustered when he glanced at her.

"Oh…well I was going to take a nap but I couldn't, so I tried to look for people, but everyone seems to be out. The grounds looked like a cool place to relax so I thought I'd look around."

"Ohh…uh…yeah…it is." Meyrin felt like crying. She sounded so stupid.

Tai noticed her stack of papers and laptop. "Trying to catch up on some work?" he asked.

Meyrin nodded and pouted; a habit she picked up whenever she was annoyed or stressed.

"I'm screwed."

Tai laughed loudly, causing the younger girl to blush prettily. "Don't worry…It could be worse. Say…you're Lunamaria's younger sister, right?"

Meyrin groaned quietly in irritation but Tai didn't notice. "Yeah I am."

"I thought so. I guess studying hard runs in the family, huh?" Tai joked and motioned towards Meyrin's papers.

Meyrin nodded a bit. "Yeah…going to the university does that to you."

Tai looked up at the sky and had a faraway look on his face. "We should be lucky that we're able to study without other worries. I'm glad I got to come here. It was so hard getting away from it all…now I can just relax and focus on studying law….at least this is something I find interesting…" Tai looked as if he was talking to himself instead of to a puzzled Meyrin. _Did he not like it in Rutherland?_

"What do you mean?" Meyrin asked, trying to find out more.

Tai snapped out of his daze, the faraway look on his face replaced with a lazy grin. "Nothing…I'm just rambling. Well, Miss Meyrin…I think I'm going to go take my nap now. Nice talking to you. Lunamaria must be happy to have a sister like you." He stood up, waved a bit, and walked back towards the mansion.

"Bye." Meyrin said quietly. She was very curious about her crush. At first, he seemed to be just a carefree person who joked a lot. Now she saw a glimpse of a more serious side when he talked about "getting away from it all." She wanted to find out what caused his to space out. Now…all she had to do was convince him that she was the perfect person for him and Luna wasn't. This would be hard considering that she didn't seem herself around him and couldn't form a smooth sentence. _Well, maybe I can talk to him alone more and become friends with him first. _

Meyrin smiled at the idea and it immediately turned into a frown when she remembered the work she had to do. _Oh boy…_

**-+-+-+-Scene Change-+-+-+-**

"Thank you for the coming to the meeting on such shot notice. But I feel as if this matter needed to be discussed." Lacus smiled politely at the people in the video screens in front of her. The men and women nodded back.

"We will try and investigate into the matter, Representative Clyne. But it will not be the easiest thing to do. After all…this has been happening for months and we were not aware of it."

Lacus nodded. "Thank you for the effort though. Keep me posted. We will act accordingly after we have more information on the situation."

They others stated their agreements. "Let's end the meeting here. I will talk to you all next time. Please take care."

Lacus sighed when the screens turned blank. From the corner of the room, Kira stood up and walked to her with a smile.

"Are you ok? You look stressed." He said gently.

"No I'm fine. Just a bit tired from the meeting, but I'm sure I'll be ok." Lacus said as they walked towards the car. She winked at him and lightly pinched him on the cheek. "You worry too much."

Kira laughed and put him arm around her waist, as they walked through the parking lot. "I only worry about those precious to me. That includes you, soon-to-be Mrs. Yamato."

"Mrs. Yamato…I like the sound of that." Lacus said as Kira opened the car door for her.

Kira smiled at his fiancé and kissed her forehead before getting into the driver's seat and starting the car.

"Kira?" Lacus asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we could visit the orphans and your mother real quick? We haven't seen them in a while…"

Kira smiled and drove towards the house while was located on the beach.

After twenty minutes of driving, they stepped out and found the children playing on the sand. When one noticed the pair, a chain reaction occurred which led to all the kids running towards them in excitement.

"Miss Lacus! Mr. Kira!"

Lacus laughed happily when she the children finally reached her. She gave each of them a hug, while Kira patted their heads playfully.

"We missed you!"

"What have you been doing?"

"Want to see the sand castle we made?"

"The pink Haro got stuck in the garbage can the other day…but I think Davy threw it in there on purpose."

"I did not! The box accidentally fell on the trash can!"

Lacus smiled widely and laughed. "Come on kids…Let's all go inside and we can catch up. I missed you all as well."

They all turned, still firing questions rapidly, but Lacus didn't seem to mind. In fact, she looked positively cheerful. Kira felt himself smile as he saw how happy his fiancé was. The tired look on her face had disappeared and was replaced with a bright smile.

"Kira are you coming?" Lacus called out as she was being dragged away by the hyperactive children.

"Yeah!" Kira ran towards the group. _The simplest things can make Lacus happy…_

_**-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+-**_

"Cagalli…"

"What!" the blonde haired princess snapped back at Athrun.

"We're here."

"So? I don't feel like getting out."

Athrun raised an eyebrow with an amused expression on his face. "Do you want me to carry you again? I don't have any objections…"

Cagalli felt herself blush and she quickly unbuckled her seatbelt and exited the car. She mumbled under her breath and crossed her arms over her chest while tapping her foot in an impatient manner.

"Are you still angry with me?" Athrun asked. The only answer he got was a glare.

Athrun sighed and grabbed Cagalli's hand while dragging her into a nearby ice cream shop. He smiled when he saw his girlfriend's face light up when she saw the sweet treat at the counter.

He bought two hot fudge sundaes and sat across from Cagalli who had dug into hers. She still hadn't said a word. Athrun decided that talking might not be the way to get his princess to stop ignoring him. He watched as she ate happily. She had a stubborn look on her face meaning that she was determined not to forgive him.

The blue-haired coordinator noticed something off to the side and immediately brightened. He got up, causing Cagalli to look up at him.

"I'll be right back." and with that, he rushed away, leaving a confused and somewhat disappointed Cagalli. Even though she was ignoring him, she still liked his company.

Cagalli sat and licked her spoon. She had finished her ice cream and Athrun still hadn't come back. _Was he mad that I ignored him for so long?_

Just then, she heard the chair scrape and looked up to see a happily smiling Athrun. Cagalli felt herself brighten and then stopped, remembering that she was ignoring him.

Athrun sat and smiled knowingly. Cagalli started to get curious. Where did he go off to?

Her thoughts were interrupted when the owner of the ice cream shop, took out a microphone and asked for everyone's attention.

"Hello! That you for all coming here and eating our ice cream! As you all know, there was a contest going on earlier today and it seems we have a winner! The contest was to guess the number of gummy bears present in this jar!" She motioned at a jar the size of a bit pot and Cagalli felt her eyes widen. Boy did she ever want some…

The woman continued on. "There were many guesses that came close. But the closest was a Miss Cagalli, who guessed 557, when the actual number was 560! Congratulations! Please come up and claim your prize!" Everyone started clapping as Cagalli sat there frozen. _Ehh! When did I guess!_

The confused princess looked at her laughing boyfriend and it suddenly dawned on her where he went off to. He knew how much she loved candy.

"Go on, Cagalli! You won!" Athrun winked.

Cagalli felt herself smile as she got up to get her prize, which consisted of the jar of gummy bears and also five king size bars of chocolate. The blonde-haired princess couldn't be happier.

Cagalli went up to the table, set her things down, and then pounced onto an unsuspecting Athrun for a hug. "I forgive you." She said while laughing.

Athrun hugged her back after he regained his balance. "Good…because I don't think I could stand it much longer if you kept ignoring me."

Cagalli stuck her tongue out and grabbed her gifts as Athrun paid the bill.

"Athrun?" she said on their way home.

"Yeah?" He asked glancing at her while keeping his eyes on the road and one hand on the wheel.

Cagalli grabbed Athrun's free hand and smiled up at him.

"Thanks."

**-+-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+**

"Say, Stellar?" Luna asked while running on a treadmill.

Stellar, who was currently on the treadmill next to her turned her head to look at her magenta-haired friend.

"Yeah?"

"Is something wrong with Meyrin? I mean…she kinda acted strange today when we asked her to come to the gym with us. She refused and walked away before I could say anything else." Luna frowned at the thought.

Stellar remained quiet, thinking on the right answer to give. _How do I tell someone their sister likes the person that is flirting with them when they don't even realize it?_

"Well…yes…I think something is bothering her."

"Really? What is it?" Luna asked as she kept running.

"Er…I don't really know. You should talk to her about it yourself." Stellar said quickly. She wasn't sure if Meyrin wanted Luna to know about her crush yet.

Luna nodded as she stopped the machine and Stellar followed suit.

"**_Phew_**! That was tiring." Luna said as she wiped her face with a towel. "I need to get in shape. With the war over, I don't have any reason for me to be fit for battle."

"Nah…I think we're both ok…we did run for a while…" Stellar handed her friend a bottle of water and took one herself.

Both sat in silence while drinking. "I worry about Meyrin…" Luna said quietly.

Stellar looked at her friend's concerned face. "I mean…we all have someone that we love…and she doesn't…at least not yet. I want her to be happy, but I don't know how. I can't just go up to a guy off the street and ask him to go out with my sister…"

Stellar sighed and looked at Luna sympathetically. She really did care for her sister and wanted the best for her.

"Meyrin is a big girl. She can take care of herself and if she wants help, she'll ask you. You know Meyrin, she's always determined and optimistic. I'm sure she'll be ok." Stellar said seriously and Luna nodded.

"You're right. Thanks Stellar."

Stellar smiled. "No problem."

Luna was about to say more, but a familiar voice interrupted them.

"There you two are!"

Stellar looked up and her eyes widened. "Shinn! What are you doing here?"

Shinn grinned at his girlfriend. "Rey and I got off early for work and decided to pick you up and surprise you. We're taking you out to coffee."

Luna deciding to give her friends some privacy, got up to talk to Rey, who was waiting outside in the car.

Stellar and Shinn walked behind her. "How was your day?" She asked quietly, while holding his hand.

"It was actually pretty fun. We did target practice and I got to shoot some. I didn't do to bad either. Pretty soon, I'll be able to match up to Athrun! Then I'll rub it in his face." Shinn winked and Stellar sighed in exasperation.

"You're silly." She said as she ruffled his already messy hair.

She gasped when Shinn grabbed the hand and kissed it on the palm. "Thanks. I take that as a compliment."

The couple laughed until they made it to the car. People who witnessed the interaction for afar smiled knowingly at their happiness. They all thought the same thing. _Those two look perfect together…_

_**-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+**_

"Argh! How much longer do I have to put this act up, daddy! I want to go home to Rutherland."

A purple-haired girl stood in her room, while talking into her cell phone, and tapping her foot impatiently. She listened to her father's reply.

"I already got my heart broken! I want to go home! Let Tai do the representative thing!"

More replying from the father.

"I know I have to stick to the plan. Fine I'll stay….wait..really! You mean…it's possible! O my gosh! I love you daddy! Ok…I'll do my job and then you promise you can make it happen? Great! His name is Athrun. But…his girlfriend is the leader of Orb….No! I'm way better than her! Fine fine...just promise me you'll make it happen…ok daddy! Bye! I love you and thanks for the presents."

The line went dead and Isabel Chapa stood in the middle of her room with a smirk on her face.

_Soon it will happen…_

…_**End of chapter…**_

**Note: My goodness! That was a long chapter! Well…what did everyone think! I was trying to set up a few things in the plot. Hopped you like the Athrun x Cagalli pointless fluff! I'll try and get more interaction between the characters next chapter! Until then…bye! **


	10. Insecurities

**AN: Guess who's back! I know…I know…I didn't update for a while and I really am sorry. I was just busy with other things and didn't find the time or the effort to write. But no worries…new chapter right here! I hope you all enjoy it and please review! **

**Ok to my reviewers: Thank you all so much for you support in this story! I don't know how much I can thank you! bows here's a few comments to some. **

**Hay lin: **Thank you so much for your kind words. They really made me feel better! Not to mention put a smile on my face. I hope you enjoy this chapter .

**OpposingForce: **Well…actually I **_did _**put some thought into Tai's name. I made sure to mention that his mother was the one who was on the Chapa side and his father obviously Japanese. I just wanted people to know that Tai is half Japanese…now in our world today it's not that hard to find people of mixed races. Also…I don't remember ever saying that he had violet eyes…more like violet hair. Plus…it's a story off of anime…so they can have any eye color they want…I mean…Cagalli has amber colored eyes and I don't think I've ever seen that before. Sorry for ranting here…I do appreciate your opinion and I'm sorry if my story seems too predictable…but hey...it's how I want to tell the story. If the name bothers you I really am sorry. Just replace it with…Bob or something that works for you. I just hope that one name won't throw off the whole story for you.

**GATX-105B: **HAHA I didn't realize people didn't like Isabel's father either. That comment really made me laugh.

**DeathKnightCecil: **I'm glad you think the personalities fit most of the time…that really makes me happy. I know that I'm doing something right.

**ShinigamiZero16: **No…Isabel isn't Meer in disguise…that would be scary. Haha I don't really know where Meer is in my fic. I might include her but I'm not sure. I doubt it though. For now…she is er…missing.

**Yun Fei: **Wow you have some good predictions. But I'm not revealing whether or not they are true. Sadly…I will say that I might have to torture out favorite couple in the future…makes the story more interesting.

**BlazingDranzer54: **I'm glad my story is exciting and that you like it. Thanks for the multiple reviews.

**Jugement Of Tears: **Whoa….hahah hold your horses! You can't kill Isabel **_yet. _**I need her to do bad and mean things! After the story we can talk about her death.

**Chisakami Saiyuki: **Tai actually likes Luna first and sees Meyrin like a cute friend. It'll change though! And this chapter cover's Rey's jealousy. Read and find out.

**Aikoo: **Thanks for understanding that I like Luna. Nothing makes me more angry than when people get mad because I favor a character that they don't. Anyways…I appreciate your support and understanding and don't worry…Cagalli and Athrun's relationship isn't smooth sailing. I will try to update more but I can't promise anything.

**Taijiya-sango88: **Tai will get together with Meyrin sooner or later and Isabel has plans for our favorite prince and princess!

**Asga: **Don't worry…Meyrin will get Tai's attention like I said. Thanks for the review!

**SEEDSummoner: **There will be more AC and this chapter has a lot of Rey and Luna in it. I will say sorry ahead of time for the ReyxLuna. Hehe.

To additional reviewers: **magelie, reelena, angel, MC KTW, Icey, ochibi-san, fanfiction-library2, xxlilvietgurlxx, vietnamesegurl, TMoon, MM, Tenshi no Shinzo, eternalfreedomx: **Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you like this chapter! Take care and enjoy! Sorry for the long comments!

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny. **

"Wait for me!"

The scream echoed throughout the quiet Athha mansion, startling a few of its occupants.

Where did the scream come from, might you ask? The answer to that very question was running down the stairs while trying desperately to tie up her red hair into pig tails. It had been a few weeks since Athrun and Cagalli had made their relationship official, and everyone had fallen into a routine. But this routine didn't include Meyrin being extremely late for school.

The said girl made it to the front door and rushed around looking for her shoes while Cagalli and Lacus looked on in amusement. Both girls held a piece of toast in their hands and were munching on it contently. By now, Cagalli's ankle had healed as well as Lacus's arm injury. Behind, the two girls were Athrun and Shinn, who curiously looked at the frantic girl.

Meyrin looked up at her sister, who opened the front door.

"I'm almost ready! Just give me five minutes!"

Luna sighed and shook her head while looking at her watch in exasperation. "Five minutes to you really means twenty. Sorry, Mey, but I gotta leave now. I have an important class that I can't be late for."

Stellar gave the younger red head a sympathetic look. "She's right. I have to get the university. We're starting a project today and I don't wanna be late. People are depending on me to help."

"B-but…How am I supposed to get to school! Kira already left!" Meyrin looked with pleading eyes at her sister and friend. "You're the only ones I can get a ride from! Everyone else is busy with work!"

"Sorry, sis…just take the bus." Luna said. She patted Meyrin's messy hair, waved to the others and walked towards the car. No one missed the look of disappointment when she saw that Rey didn't get up to say goodbye to her. He sat in the dining room and nodded when she waved. Stellar smiled at everyone before closing the door behind her.

Meyrin pouted and slumped against the wall. "This sucks…"

Lacus was about to comfort her friend, but a voice from the left stopped her.

"If you need a ride, I can help. I'm on my way there and I have a later class."

It was Tai, dressed and ready for the day, with his backpack flung over his shoulder. He grinned at everyone and Meyrin sat speechless for a bit. She then paled when she realized how she looked; messy hair, wrinkled uniform, and no socks on. She wanted die on the spot in embarrassment.

"Is that ok with you? I ride on a motorcycle so we can get there faster….hello? You in there?" Tai waved a hand in front of the girl's face. Meyrin was so caught up in her embarrassment that she forgot to answer.

"Y-yes! Thank you! Let me just get ready…" with that, the red head raced back up the stairs leaving everyone else shocked at how fast she was.

"Er…ok…" Shinn said to break the silence. The messy haired coordinator looked behind him at the dining table and whistled.

"Rey! You ready to go?" Rey folded his newspaper and gave his friend and co-worker a stern look.

"You know…I'm not a dog. What's with the whistling?"

Shinn just looked back innocently and laughed. "Let's get going. I can't be late either. We have a meeting today, don't you remember?"

Rey nodded at everyone and left grabbed his coat as Shinn rushed out the door saying his goodbyes.

Cagalli shook her head in amusement and was about to finish off her toast but a hand reached down and plucked it away. She looked up and saw Athrun chewing happily on _her _breakfast, with a grin on his face.

"You…" She said as she narrowed her eyes.

Athrun just gave her an innocent look as Lacus giggled.

"Why'd you do that for!" Cagalli practically screamed at her boyfriend. Her breakfast was very important and it always made her cranky when she didn't have enough to eat.

The blue-haired coordinator just winked at the fuming princess. "I felt like it."

_Is he teasing me!_

Lacus and Tai were laughing now at the blonde girl's obvious irritation. It was funny how the two acted. Their affection for each other was apparent even though one was very annoyed.

"Are you purposely trying to annoy me?" Cagalli asked while pinning Athrun with a hard stare.

Athrun just smiled back. "You looked tired so I decided to make you more awake."

"By eating my food?" Cagalli asked dryly. She raised an eyebrow. "I think you were too lazy to walk to the table and get your own."

Athrun laughed. "You're probably right."

Cagalli made a face at him as they heard the distinct thumping coming down the stairs.

"I guess Meyrin is ready." Lacus commented and Tai moved towards the door.

"Ok! Let's go!" Meyrin said triumphantly. She was very proud of herself. _I actually got ready in less than ten minutes! Whohoo!_

Tai moved towards the door.

"Bye guys!" Lacus smiled when it was only her, Athrun, and Cagalli left.

"Meyrin really is happy around him."

Cagalli and Athrun nodded but didn't say anything. The thought of Meyrin and Tai becoming a couple was somewhat slim. Well…at the moment, at least. Over the past few weeks, tensions between Luna and Rey had grown, as well as tensions between Luna and Meyrin. Although, it was unspoken, everyone knew that Rey and Meyrin were getting jealous of Tai's behavior towards Luna. Now…it wasn't as if he was coming onto her but it was just that the purple-haired boy openly showed that he was interested in the cheerful girl, who didn't seem fazed by it at all.

"Oh well…we'll just have to wait and see what happens between them." Lacus said while she shrugged her shoulders.

Cagalli nodded but then remembered something. "Since everyone finishes their jobs and school by noon, I have the day planned. We're going fruit picking."

At the mention of this, Athrun raised an eyebrow. "Did you just say fruit picking?"

"Yes, Athrun…fruit picking. Don't look at me like that! I'm serious! Anyways…afterwards we're all invited to have dinner at Mr. and Mrs. Warrington's house. The others know about the plans. I just thought I'd tell you two."

Lacus scrunched up her face in thought. "Warrington?"

"Yeah…they're an elderly couple who were very good friends with my father. I treat them like grandparents." Cagalli said with a smile on her face. It had been a while since she had last seen them. After all, the blonde princess had been pretty busy since the end of the war.

"But…why fruit picking?" Athrun still hadn't gotten over the idea. It was a rather random activity.

Cagalli looked at her boyfriend, who was trying to contain his amusement. "Because it's fun…and also, the Warrington's would love a basket full of strawberries and I thought it would be nice to bring something to the dinner…and considering the fact that I can't cook to save me life…I think it's a good idea." The blonde princess then grinned. "Unless you **_want _**me to cook?"

At that last remark, Athrun blanched. "Er…NO! I mean…I agree with you…strawberries sound like a good idea. No need to…er…..cook."

Lacus just giggled at the scene and smiled. "Ok Cagalli…I'm guessing everyone's meeting here around noon?"

"That's the plan."

"Ok…great. I think I'll go get some work done and then maybe surprise Kira by stopping by the university."

And with that, the pink haired singer went back to her room to get ready for the day ahead.

"I have a meeting too, huh?" Cagalli asked Athrun who nodded in reply. This caused the blonde girl to groan. She really didn't feel like being locked in a stuffy room today but she had no other choice.

"Don't worry…it won't take that long and plus, I'll be there." Athrun winked which caused Cagalli to blush.

"Very funny. Even if you're there, it'll still be boring." Cagalli laughed when Athrun pretended to stab himself in the heart.

"That hurts." He said dramatically.

Cagalli just patted him on the shoulder and made her way upstairs.

She looked over her shoulder at her grinning boyfriend. "If we keep messing around like this, we'll be late too! Now hurry up and ready!"

Athrun just smiled and followed the girl up the stairs.

_**-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+**_

Meyrin nearly stumbled when she reached Tai's motorcycle. She had completely forgotten the mode of transportation they would take to get to the school. Now…Meyrin had been in the war and was actually pretty brave, being on the bridge of a ship that engaged in battle often, but she never actually _went _out into battle. There was a reason of course. Meyrin was actually terrified of fast things which left her vulnerable, such as mobile suits and motorcycles.

"Er…." She tried to back away slowly without going unnoticed. Sure, she liked Tai but there was _no way _she was getting on that _thing!_

Tai noticed the frightened girl backing away and threw her a curious glance.

"You ok? You look a bit pale…"

"Um…Actually… I kinda changed my mind. I think I'll take the bus. I don't want to bother you or anything." Meyrin stuttered as she eyed the bike nervously.

Realization dawned on the purple-haired boy's face.

"You aren't **_scared, _**are you?" he asked slowly.

"What! Of course not! It's fine! I just…er…realized that I need to take the bus instead! Yeah! I know a…um…friend who takes it and I need to talk to her!"

_I have great acting skills, don't I? _Meyrin thought sarcastically.

Tai just grinned and shook his head. "If you're so scared, just tell me."

Meyrin narrowed her eyes a bit. What was he getting at? Maybe if she told him her fear, he'd let her off the hook. Taking a deep breath, the red-head nodded.

"Ok…I'm not comfortable with riding a motorcycle…"

Tai raised an eyebrow and stared at he girl. Meyrin just stared back trying to suppress her fearful emotions, but it didn't work.

"Fine! I'm **_terrified _**of that thing! It's so scary! There's no safety or thing to protect you like in a car. There isn't even a seat belt! What if I lose my grip and fly off! Or even worse! What if a car hits us?" By now, the girl was hysterically waving her arms around.

Meyrin would have continued yelling, but Tai started laughing loudly, which made her stop abruptly. She flushed in embarrassment realizing that she was yelling at him.

"Er…sorry. It's just that-"

"No need to apologize. Come on. Here's a helmet and I promise I'll go slow."

Meyrin hesitantly took the helmet. Usually she would have already fled the scene. Like the time when Shinn and Luna tried to get her on a roller coasterBeing the crafty girl that she was, Meyrin just made the excuse of going to the restroom and ran out of the proximity of the dreaded ride to the safety of the kiddy land, where toddlers were trying to win stuffed animals and eat candy.

But the assurance in Tai's voice made her want to accept his words and go along with it.

"Promise?" She asked tentatively.

The purple-haired boy nodded and got on the bike while putting on his own helmet.

"Ok…Just get on and put your hands around my waist. Don't forget to hold on tight."

Meyrin did so and felt a huge blush come on by the fact that she was holding him. But all thoughts flew out of her mind when she heard him start the bike.

"Here we go!"

With a jolt and the loud sound of the motor, the pair were well on their way towards the university.

Meyrin was scared out of her mind as she clenched her eyes shut and held on tight. She even started mumbling a prayer to make it to the university safely.

"See…this isn't so bad! Just open your eyes!" Meyrin heard Tai say happily.

She slowly opened her eyes once she got used to the speed. It was actually kind of fun watching the cars and buildings go by.

Pretty soon, the red head started laughing loudly, which caused Tai to do so too. She even started to raise her arms up in the air as if she was on a ride, but immediately grabbed the purple-haired boy's waist once she realized that she might fall off. Meyrin was a bit sad when the came to a stop at the university parking lot.

"Not scared anymore?" Tai asked with a grin.

"Nope." Came the light reply. "That was actually not bad at all…Thank you Mr. Isuki."

"No problem, Miss Hawke."

Meyrin felt that nothing could ruin her day after the morning ride to school. She couldn't stop smiling during class and got some weird looks from her friends.

_Perfect start to the day…_

_**-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+**_

Shinn sighed for the fifth time that day. The meeting was just finished early and he had nothing to do. Here he sat, in his office staring at his computer screen saver of a cartoon penguin sliding around the ice. Who would have known that Stellar would click around on his computer when she visited him?

Anyways…Shinn really wanted something to do. The clock on the wall was really getting to him. It just kept ticking…

Tick….

Tock…

Tick…

Tock…

Shinn wanted to pull his hair out now. Where was Stellar when you needed her? He wished his girlfriend was here so they could talk and joke around. Too bad he was destined to be bored to death by an insufferable clock.

Deciding that he had enough torture, the messy-haired coordinator got up to go find Rey and annoy the heck out of him. His blonde friend had been very uptight and serious lately, not to mention jealous.

_Maybe if I bug him a bit, it'll take his mind off his worries._

Shinn made his way out the door and through the halls while stopping only to salute people and to get saluted. He found his way to Rey's office and without bothering to knock, like usual, walked in with a grin.

"How's it going?" The black-haired boy sat on a chair on the other side of Rey's desk and watched as his friend looked over a report.

"Don't you have work to do?" He asked, slightly irritated, but Shinn was used to this by now. Rey had been getting irritated a lot lately because of a certain girlfriend getting to be friends with a certain purple-haired boy from Rutherland.

"Nope. I finished. Aren't you proud?"

Rey snorted at this while never taking his eyes away from the document.

"Man…you should lighten up a bit…the wars over!" Shinn joked as he picked up the framed pictures on the desk. There were many of the whole group…a few taken at the picnic not too long ago…some from Kira's birthday…and finally there was one with just Rey and Luna. Rey was smiled slightly with an amused expression as Luna beamed into the camera, making a victory sign with her fingers. _That just sums up their relationship in this picture…_

Rey mumbled about annoying kids.

Shinn choose to ignore the comment. "Seriously though…what's really bothering you? All you do lately is just throw yourself into your work. I know that document you're looking at right now isn't due until three weeks. Why don't you tell me what's wrong? I bet it'll help."

Rey set down the papers and picked up the picture the Shinn had been looking at before. He allowed himself a small smile before glancing up at his friend who was waiting expectantly for him to explain himself.

The blonde coordinator opened his mouth and Shinn leaned in to listen, his interest showing.

"I…." The black-haired boy nodded enthusiastically for him to continue.

"…don't…" _He's going to tell me that he doesn't like Luna getting friendly with Tai! Good! Once he admits it…I can knock some sense into him and tell the big dork that Luna doesn't have feelings for him! _

"You don't…."

"…feel like telling you."

Shinn literally fell off of his chair and with a thud, hit the floor. Rey laughed as he saw Shinn slowly put his hand on the side of the desk while hoisting himself up.

The boy just glared at his friend. "That was cold."

**-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+**

"**_What!_**" The shocked yell rang out in the meeting room.

"What do you mean all the money set aside for aid has been stolen!"

Cagalli's eyes stared into the serious face of a councilman. "How could this have happened? The money was protected!"

The councilman sighed and shook his head tiredly. "We don't know. Somehow, early this morning, the computers that monitored the use of the money said that everything was gone."

Cagalli struggled to control her temper. This wasn't good. What was going on? Who could have transferred so much money? Cagalli stiffened when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but then relaxed to see that it was Athrun. With an air of maturity gained from experience, he decided to speak up since everyone was still in shock.

"There will need to be an investigation, preferably one that is connected to the missing documents that Miss Athha never saw. I have a feeling that both cases are related. Also, this cannot leak into the public. If anyone, especially the media, found out about this, there will be suspicion and the Peace Council will lose all the trust and respect that it gained these past years." Others nodded their agreement after Athrun spoke.

"Mr. Zala is correct. We must find out what happened and get the money back quickly, before it is gone, although I doubt that it can all be spent without being unnoticeable...there was a lot of money stolen and it would be blatantly obvious if it was spent right away." A different councilman spoke up.

"I'm more worried about the protests escalating. Not to mention the public's opinion if this gets out. It would be too hard to investigate if everything was thrown back into chaos because of this incident." Cagalli fisted her hand tightly to try and deal with her stress as she said this.

"If you want my opinion, I think that this situation could either make or break you." Isabel cut into the conversation, startling everyone in the room, especially the blonde princess, who the statement was directed to.

"Please explain yourself, Miss Chapa."

Isabel nodded and stood up. She spoke in a professional manner which meant that she was dead serious.

"How you handle this problem will show your skill as a leader. You already let some things get out of hand due to your carelessness, and it shows. Also, what happened to the aid that was supposed to be sent? It's missing and many people are suffering because of it. People want answers and you aren't supplying any. We are all aware that Orb needs help to recover after the war too but there is only so long that the other countries will wait when you promised peace and reconstruction. Pretty soon, others will think that this council was formed to serve only to the advantage of Orb. If you fail at this task, it will most definitely show your weakness as a leader. Either that or it will show that your interests only lie for Orb. People get suspicious easily in a time where everything is not steady or permanent. It would be too easy for someone else to step all over you."

Cagalli stiffened at her statement. As much as she hated to admit it, the representative from Rutherland was right. _I can't afford to fail…There's too much that I want to do for Orb to let this bring me down._

Cagalli glanced at Athrun and it made her feel better to see his reassuring smile. _It's ok because even if I can't handle this alone, Athrun will always be here to support me. _Cagalli took a deep breathe and turned to Isabel with a serious look.

"Don't worry, Miss Chapa. I will make sure that no one will 'step all over me' as well as make decisions using my best judgment. I'm not a weak leader and I won't fail. Believe me when I say that I will do everything in my power to fix this as well as find out who stole the money."

Isabel didn't look convinced but kept quiet.

"For now…let's set up another investigation team and have it work with the other one investigating the missing documents, like Athrun said. Also…use some funds directly from Orb's treasury to get aid over to the countries who never received it. Remember we don't want this to cause worry so make sure that it doesn't get out into the public. Keep me updated. Let's end this meeting now and hope for the best." Cagalli started to put her papers away, as the others started to put the plan into action.

As people started to file out the door, Athrun moved next to Cagalli and helped her pack her things up. She sent him a small smile but the blue-haired coordinator could tell that she was stressed. It might not have showed in her posture and smile, but Athrun could see the worry and conflict reflecting in her eyes.

"It'll be ok."

Cagalli sighed, looking tired. "Will it?"

Athrun knew that the blonde princess needed to talk to get her worries off of her mind, but Isabel chose that moment to interrupt the pair.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but I need to speak to both of you." At Cagalli's nod, she started to walk with them towards the parking lot.

After a few seconds of silence, Isabel spoke. "My father has sent for me to go back to Rutherland. There are some problems due do your carelessness and I need to go back and fix them. I'm not sure how long it will take…it could be a few weeks to a few months, depending on how severe it is. But one thing is for sure, I will not let me country fail as you have failed yours."

Cagalli looked startled. Although she was extremely happy that the representative was leaving, her words stung. _Am I really a failure? Was I careless? _

Ever since the end of the war, the determined princess had done everything in her power to bring peace during the negotiation process. She had made sure to make decisions using the best of her judgment, as well as seeking advice from those she trusted most, such Athrun. Cagalli wanted to make her father proud by being a strong leader and she had always thought that Orb was becoming prosperous again, but what Isabel said brought the blonde princess back to reality. Were things really as happy and peaceful as they seemed? If that was true, then why was there so much unrest and turmoil?

Cagalli was broken out of her thoughts when Isabel continued. Athrun looked like he wanted to stop her from speaking but knew that he couldn't be rude to the representative, especially when there were other councilmen nearby trying to rush to their offices to get work done.

"I hope you can handle all of the responsibility…I know how _hard_ it must be for you, Miss Athha. I wish you the best of luck and hopefully when I return from Rutherland, we can work together along with the council to find solutions to these problems. I'm sure I will be able to make it back before…knowing that you probably won't act on anything."

Cagalli bit her lip to keep from snapping at the haughty representative. She always masked her hurt with anger. Athrun put a hand on her arm to make sure she wouldn't do anything drastic like lunge at Isabel…although the thought of watching his princess beat the stuffy girl to a pulp was rather tempting.

As the three walked through the automatic doors of the building, Isabel turned towards the two and flashed them an arrogant smile; behind her was the limo she would ride in to the airport.

"I am sad to say that I won't be able to say good-bye to your friends, but no worries…I'm sure I'll be back in _no time. _I really _can't_ wait to come back so I can get to know everyone better. But for now, it was a pleasure meeting you all…" Isabel was looking directly at Athrun who stared at her blankly.

She reached out and shook Cagalli's hand stiffly and then did the same with Athrun, only to cover their intertwined hands with her left on affectionately. She smiled and Cagalli could see the arrogant face melt into a softer one of admiration and longing. Cagalli almost felt bad for the girl, to never have a chance with the one she crushed on. But the key word here is _almost. _She was too spoiled. The blonde princess noted that Athrun pulled his hand out of hers and coughed slightly.

"Well…I will be sure to contact you in the future. I know this won't be our last meeting. Until then, watch out for yourselves. There are so many mysteries going on. No one would want any of you to get hurt. I hope you all take care." Isabel nodded and walked into her limo. After it drove off towards the airport, Cagalli let out a sigh.

"Cheer up, Cagalli." Athrun lightly ruffled her hair. "There's no need for the serious face. Plus…Miss Chapa will be gone for a bit. That'll relieve some stress."

"No need? Are you crazy Athrun? Or did you not hear everything that was said for the past hour!" Cagalli huffed in frustration after she bit her thumb in worry. _What am I going to do? What if Isabel's right and I can't fix this?_

It was Athrun's turn to sigh. "It isn't healthy for you to work yourself up so much. I know you can handle this slight setback. Plus…you know you have lots of support from everyone, especially me. I have complete faith in you. Don't lose your determination and confidence just because of what Miss Chapa said. The Cagalli I know would never step down to a challenge like this."

Cagalli thought about Athrun's words on the way back to meet there others. _Everyone says I'm a good leader…or at least that I try my hardest. But am I really as naïve as Isabel makes me out to be? Am I ignorant to what's really going on? How will I handle this? _

_**-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+**_

"Will you tell me now?"

"No."

"Aww…come on! I can help you!"

"I said **_no!"_**

"…………please?"

"**_Damnit_** Shinn! How many times do I have to tell you to stop bugging me!"

Rey gripped the staring wheel of his car tightly as they made their way towards the university to meet the girls and Tai. After the blonde coordinator had finished looking over the document, he then proceeded to make his way towards the parking lot while ignoring a persistent Shinn.

"Geez Rey…I'm just trying to help. Why don't you just admit to me that your jealous of Luna spending so much time with Tai and- **_Whoa there! _**Watch the road!" The car had swerved violently causing Shinn hold onto his seat for dear life.

After a few seconds of tense silence, Shinn decided to try his luck and spoke up. "Why are you holding back from expressing any emotions? Do you think they'll somehow go away if you just ignore them?"

Rey snorted. "Obviously that doesn't work with you."

Shinn, having enough of Rey's immaturity, (Yes…I said Rey's immaturity. Never thought those two words would be in the same sentence) let his temper get the better of him and slammed his fist down on the dashboard. "**_Look!_** I'm just trying to be a good friend here! You don't need to act all irritated to everyone just because you see something you don't like! Now **_grow up _**and stop sulking!"

Rey's eyes widened slightly. He could have sworn that those words were said to Shinn sometime during that war. Shinn rarely blew up in anger since then, realizing that it got him nowhere. When he did show his temper, it meant that the black haired coordinator was serious. _Am I really acting childish? _

"Ok…I'll talk. I guess it will help me." Shinn nodded for his friend to continue with a stern look on his face.

"It's just that…you've seen Luna and Tai recently. Now…don't get me wrong, he's a nice guy, but I can tell that he likes her. Why wouldn't he? She's cute, energetic, outgoing, basically everything that's opposite to me. For the past two weeks, they've been studying together at night **_alone _**in the library. I tried to ignore the fact that she was getting close to him, but what if she starts if have feelings for him? Wouldn't you feel jealous too if Stellar was in that position?" Rey paused to let Shinn reply.

"Yeah…I would. But I would voice my opinion and **_tell _**her how I felt. I don't even think Luna realizes that you're jealous. Not that I see any reason for you to be. We've known Luna forever and when has she ever been disloyal to any of us? I know for a fact that that girl cares about you. You and Luna go way back. There's no way that you two will be broken apart so easily. In fact…all of us share a common background and can relate to each other. That's why I think we're such a close group of friends."

Rey smiled a bit, already feeling better. "You know…you're pretty wise someone who acts like a kid a majority of the time."

Shinn just grinned back. "It's my way of letting go of any strain from the war. This is how I want to live and this is what I fought for….to be happy and be able to live without worries."

"I couldn't agree with you anymore."

_**-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+**_

"See you later, Stellar!"

Stellar waved happily to her friends at the university as they parted ways after spending all morning working on the project. She sighed and closed her eyes as the breeze played with her hair. It was a lovely day with great weather. Stellar smiled but then jumped a bit when a hand placed itself on her shoulder.

Turning her head quickly, she saw that it was just an extremely cheerful Meyrin.

"Hey! What's new?"

"Nothing really." Stellar replied softly. Both girls chatted quietly about their day while they waited for Rey and Shinn to meet them here.

"Hey."

Meyrin turned and smiled shyly at Tai, who had greeted them.

"So how was your day?" He asked to both girls.

"It was great! My classes weren't boring and I finished all my work!" Meyrin said happily, while raising her fist in victory.

Tai smiled at the girl and nodded, which caused her heart to beat a bit faster. She opened her mouth to speak again, but heard a shout in the distance.

"Hey! Guess what!"

It was a happy looking Luna. No…let me correct that…it was an _extremely_ happy looking Luna running towards them at full speed while frantically waving a paper around.

She then did the thing that the three least expected. When Luna got close enough, she threw herself at a startled Tai, in a great big hug. The purple haired boy stumbled a bit before gaining back his balance.

"Thank you. Thank you!" She practically screamed in joy.

Tai looked pleased to be able to hug her…in fact, he had a slight red shade to his cheeks, which Meyrin noticed and scowled at.

"L-luna?" Stellar asked cautiously. This didn't look good. Why was Luna hugging Tai when there was so much tension between her and Meyrin and Rey?

Luna stopped hugging Tai and beamed up at him. She then thrust her paper into his hands and stepped back looking happy with herself.

Stellar looked at the paper curiously and saw that it was Luna's midterm.

"I got one of the highest scores in the class! It's all thanks to your help, Tai!"

The purple-haired boy scratched his head lightly in embarrassment and laughed. For the past few weeks, Tai had tutored a grateful Luna every night. The two become pretty good friends and also got to know each other. Tai loved to tutor her. She was too cute when she didn't understand something. But he also learned that her boyfriend was Rey and that she really cared about him. This hurt a bit, but the purple-haired boy tried to brush it off lightly, thinking that being her friend was enough. But he couldn't stop the thought that if he knew Luna first, then maybe he would have had a chance.

Stellar noticed someone off to the side and paled a bit at what she saw. It was none other than Shinn and Rey. Obviously they saw what Luna did by the fact that Shinn looked nervous while unsuccessfully trying to calm down an angry looking Rey.

Luna had yet to notice the pair and was chatting happily with a somewhat flustered Tai about how he really helped her out. She giggled happily as he congratulated her, causing Meyrin , who stood nearby to frown and look away.

"Shinn! Hi!" Stellar smiled shakily as she went up and hugged her boyfriend and waved a bit at Rey. Shinn looked curiously at Stellar for an answer to Luna's actions but she just shrugged hopelessly. The couple watched nervously to see what would happen.

"Hey guys!" The magenta haired girl finally noticed the others and stepped towards Rey, who glared off to the side. She paused a bit…not really understanding why her boyfriend looked so angry.

"Are you ok? You look kind of mad. Maybe something happened at work?" She smiled but it faded when she saw that he just ignored her and stood stiffly. In the background she saw Stellar shake her head sadly. _What's going on? _

By now, Tai had moved off to stand next to an expressionless Meyrin as they watched the couple.

"Er…ok…uh I got a good grade on my test! Good thing Tai helped me, huh?" Luna tried again to initiate some form of conversation with her boyfriend…little did she know that she just made things worse. Shinn flinched at hearing his friend dig herself into a deeper hole. _I think Rey doesn't believe my advice anymore…_

Rey clenched his fists and abruptly turned around. She just **_had _**to mention him, didn't she? Now…some might think that Rey would hold a grudge against Tai but to the blonde coordinator, Tai was not at fault. Rey thought back to what Shinn had said in the car. _Is she really loyal to me? If that's the case…then why is she flirting with him!_ Didn't she know that he cared about her more than anything and that he wanted to look after her? He walked away towards the car leaving a startled Luna.

"What just happened?" She asked. The others avoided eye contact with the confused girl.

"Well…let's get going. We don't want the others to wait." Stellar nudged Shinn who blinked out of his daze. Meyrin sighed and walked past Luna without looked back to see if she was ok. The younger girl would have liked to comfort her sister, but right now, her feelings were stopping her. She was confused on how to act. Meyrin actually felt a little relieved that Luna was hurt by Rey ignoring her. It showed that she still cared about what the blonde coordinator thought. But she was jealous when she saw her sister hug Tai. Everything was too complicated!

Luna stared at Rey's retreating back with a hurt expression. _Why did he ignore me? Recently he's been kind of distant…but I didn't have time to talk to him about it because I was too busy preparing for my tests…I'll ask what's bothering him later._

Luna felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Tai smiling down at her.

"Maybe he just had a bad day." He offered kindly.

The magenta haired girl nodded. She headed off towards her car alone since Meyrin and Stellar decided to follow Rey and Shinn while Tai went on his motorcycle. _Yeah…that's it…it was probably just a bad day for him…_

_**-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+**_

Kira sighed as he glanced at the stack of papers that were turned in earlier that day. He would need to go through those later which made the brown haired coordinator slump a bit in his seat. _Why assign so much when I know that I'm going to have to read it all? _

Standing up, he stretched a bit and moved to the window. Outside, there were people walking around, talking, and laughing. Overall, the atmosphere was happy. The young professor felt a pang of jealousy. He wished that he could get out into the sun, but there was still another hour to be cooped up in the room. Trying to shake his head out of the depressing thought of working, he walked towards his desk to get something done but paused halfway. Who was to say that he couldn't leave work early? _That's right! I don't have anymore classes today! Plus…I'm sure no one will notice if I left…it's not like anyone needs me._

With renewed confidence, the brown haired professor changed directions and made a step towards the door. _I'll just take a short walk for fresh air…and if anyone asks I'll tell them that I was on my way to the bathroom. Who won't believe me!_

Grinning to himself, Kira marched up to the door and made a move to grab the handle. The coordinator blinked in surprise as he watched it turn slowly. _Am I caught? _

What he didn't expect was a loud smacking sound, intense pain, and a cheerfully excited voice yelling, "**_Kira!" _**

The said boy only welcomed the darkness that followed.

…………………………

Kira groaned as he opened his eyes, but immediately shut them because of the brightness of the lights. To his side somewhere he heard a worried and utterly panicked voice.

"O my gosh! Kira! Are you awake!"

"L-lacus? Is that you?" Kira got up slowly and noticed that he had been lying on the hard floor. Lacus was by his side supporting some of his weight to help him sit up.

"What happened? I feel like my head got his by a ton of bricks. By the way…what are you doing here? I didn't know you were coming…" At this comment, his fiancé proceeded to laugh nervously and scratch her head.

"Well…you see…I wanted to surprise you with a visit...and I got really excited at the thought of seeing you so I kinda ran down the hall and barged in the room. Who would have known that you were on your way out at the very same time? Well since I basically slammed the door open, it hit you in the head….you fell back and got knocked out." By the end of her little explanation, Lacus was rushing her words. Kira just stared blankly.

"I'm really sorry, Kira. Don't be mad." She looked at him pleadingly with her big blue eyes. "If it makes it any better…I got you an ice pack." The pink-haired singer held it out like a peace offering and smiled.

Kira took it and pressed it gently to his throbbing head. _Just my luck…I swear…there is someone out to get me. All I wanted was a nice walk outside…_

"It's ok Lacus. It was an accident…I'm not mad." Lacus hugged him tightly and kissed him on the cheek. She stood while holding a hand out causing Kira to raise an eyebrow in question.

"We have fifteen minutes before we have to meet the others. You were out cold for a majority of the time I wanted to spend with you…but we can still take a walk outside. It's just a nice day and I think the fresh air will help with your head."

Kira let his fiancé help him up and had to steady himself as a wave of dizziness hit him.

"You read my mind, Lacus." Kira said as Lacus linked her arm with him and the couple proceeded to walk out the door.

_In the end I still got out of having to work. I guess things aren't so bad after all…_

**-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+**

There were a few things that Cagalli noticed as the whole group piled into a van and drove towards the countryside to a strawberry farm, where they would get to taste and pick the finest strawberries that Orb had to offer. First of all…Rey seemed to be ignoring Luna and even chose not to sit next to her, opting to be next to an unusually quiet Shinn and a slumbering Stellar. Luna kept throwing glances back at him hopelessly trying to figure out what was wrong. Next…the observant princess saw that Meyrin and Tai were in a quiet conversation which had the girl blushing every other sentence, not that Tai noticed because he seemed to be looking at Luna half the time. Despite the tired atmosphere in the car, Cagalli couldn't help but smile at Lacus who was pointing out the window and commenting on the beautiful scenery while Kira agreed. Strangely enough, her brother had a square bandage on the left side of his forehead. She'd have to ask him about that later.

Cagalli smiled at Athrun, who was driving and he winked into the rear view mirror. He seemed happy enough and this made the blonde princess's spirits rise. Today would be fun even if half of the group seemed occupied with one thing or another.

_**20 minutes later…**_

"**_Strawberries!_**"

"No need to shout, Cagalli." Athrun said with an amused expression on his face.

They had just talked to the owners, a married couple, and they had said that the group could pick all the strawberries they wanted and could pay for them by the pound afterwards. The kind woman told them to feel free to eat while picking. This made Cagalli smiled widely.

"I can't wait!" Lacus said just as excitedly. Everyone was equipped with two baskets and water bottles.

Luna and Meyrin, forgetting their troubles for the moment cheered as they raced towards the strawberry field, intent on seeing who could pick the most.

Stellar giggled as she grabbed Shinn's hand and led him towards the field. The poor boy was balancing four baskets, five water bottles, and six sunhats. He had insisted that he should carry his girlfriend's items as well as his. Too bad the other girls used this to their advantage and gave their possessions to the overwhelmed coordinator.

"You sure you can handle it all?" The blonde dancer teased her boyfriend, who was stumbling around trying to gain his balance.

"Of course I can. It's no sweat…I have everything under control." Shinn grinned as he proceeded to walk towards the field where Luna and Meyrin were tasting the fruit happily.

"Good job Shinn! You really are a gentleman." Athrun patted his friend on the back, **_hard. _**

"**_Gah!" _**The black-haired coordinator helplessly tried to regain his balance, but it proved useless as all the items that once resting in his arms, scattered to the floor. Shinn glared at his laughing friend who just shrugged innocently.

"He did that on purpose."

In the end, everyone helped Shinn carry the things to the field.

………………………………………

"**_Ah hah!_** There it is!"

An enthusiastic Cagalli reached for a perfect looking strawberry with a childish smile on her face. She then sat back and looked over to Athrun, who was a few feet from her with a half basket full of the yummy fruit.

"Hey, Athrun! I bet you can't find a better strawberry than this one!" The princess proudly held out her strawberry with grin.

Athrun just stared calmly. "I probably couldn't."

Cagalli blanched. Athrun usually took her challenge and played along. "Er…that's right. You can't…"

Athrun just smiled. "I think the worm on it thinks the same way."

Cagalli paled. "…W-worm?"

A scream of fright rang out, startling everyone as they saw a strawberry soar through the air. Meanwhile, a frantic princess searched all over to see if the worm was still present.

"**_Ewwwwww!" _**

The scared princess then proceeded to do some sort of weird dance that looked like a jig, complete with flailing arms and twirls, in order to rid herself of the offending bug. She hopped on one foot while shaking her head wildly, thinking that it somehow got on her hair.

"Get it off! **_Get it off!" _**

By now, all of her friends were laughing at the blonde princess's display of panic over a little worm. But hey…everyone has their own fears…like how Meyrin is scared of bunnies…Don't ask.

Athrun, deciding that his girlfriend had had enough torture stood to calm her.

"Cagalli…"

"**_Ack! _**Is it on my shirt!"

"…_Cagalli…"_

"Oh my Gosh! **_Help me!" _**

"_**CAGALLI!" **_

"**_What!" _**The girl paused and looked at her boyfriend with an irritated expression.

"You threw the worm away along with the strawberry."

Cagalli blinked a few times and coughed to hide her embarrassment. "Oh…" She then cleared her throat and with whatever dignity she had left said, "I knew that…"

Laughter was heard from the background.

"Real graceful, princess!" Shinn called out as Stellar tried to hold in her laughter.

"You have some great moves. Maybe you can show me sometime!" This comment came from Luna, face red from laughing so much. Next to her, stood Meyrin, camera in hand with a big grin on her face. Cagalli paled. _She took a picture of me jumping around!_

Kira was hugging his stomach while laughing loudly. Strawberries were scattered all around him. Apparently, when he saw his sister freak out, he fell over from laughing so much and knocked the basket of fruit over. His fiancé giggled offering no sympathy for her embarrassed friend.

"If it makes you feel any better…Meyrin only took one picture." Tai said while wiping his tears of laughter away. "Wow…I didn't know you could look so…clumsy!" This brought about a new wave of laughter from the group when they remembered Cagalli's weird movements. Let's just say it was a rather eccentric display. Even Rey joined in on the fun, allowing himself to chuckle.

Athrun stepped forward and hugged his defeated princess. He offered no words to comfort her. In fact, the boy was still laughing!

"Stupid worm." Cagalli mumbled, her cheeks red in embarrassment. "Made everyone against me…"

The laughter and teasing died down and everyone got back to picking fruit. Cagalli made sure to examine the whole strawberry before touching it. She sighed in content realizing that her misfortune actually eased some of the tension out of the group. _Some_…but not _all. _

Athrun patted her hand and smiled at her when she looked up. "You always make everyone smile. Don't ever change that." This comment made the blonde girl smile.

………………………………

Not far away from the prince his princess, kneeled Luna, basket full and mind set. She glanced at a blushing Stellar as Shinn fed her and sighed wistfully. They looked so happy. The magenta haired girl then turned and looked to Rey, who was about seven feet away from her. He hadn't said a single word to her since….well…since yesterday. Now was the time to talk to him. She made sure that everyone else was busy before getting up and walking towards her boyfriend, who had stopped picking and was sitting on the ground while staring at the sky deep in thought.

"Hey." Luna said as she sat down next to Rey. He glanced at her and nodded.

"Hi." This caused Luna to frown. Usually when she greeted him, he would hug her or pat her arm or show some form of affection.

Shaking her head to clear her mind, she sighed as a breeze messed with her short hair.

"I-is something bothering you? I mean…lately you've been acting different. Maybe you wanna talk about it?"

The blonde coordinator looked at the girl seriously causing her to worry. She gently laid her hand on his trying to offer some comfort. _Maybe something did happen?_

Much to Luna's surprise, Rey stiffened and pulled his hand away. He then took a deep breath.

"Lunamaria I think we need to talk…I need to know…do you think we're getting distant?"

Luna gasped at the remark. Were they? She didn't really know…she was too busy worrying about her midterms.

She choose her next words carefully. "Well…we haven't spent much time together recently…although that's to be expected. I mean…I've been studying a lot and you're always working…"

Rey nodded. "Yeah…you're always studying…but…that's not the problem. I understand that you needed to study for your tests. They were important to you, but…you're always studying with Tai…"

"Wait. What does Tai have to do with any of this? I'm sorry that we couldn't really be together because I was studying but I really did want to spend time with you." Luna cut in. Where was this conversation going? She could understand that they were distant because of the constant studying but where did Tai fall into the picture?

Rey almost snorted at her last comment. If Luna really did want to spend time with him, she could have. Instead she opted for spending time with her _tutor_ in the library or grabbing a quick bite to eat with the boy; then back to studying they went. She even bought his lunch for him one day saying that she owed him! Everything she did was with Tai.

Rey decided that he needed to get everything off his chest and set things straight with Luna.

"What I'm trying to say is… that I want you to stop flirting with Tai." Rey watched as his girlfriend's face turned from confused to offended. "Either stay with me or go with him because I tired of having to watch as you drag him with you to study or joke with him randomly while ignoring me, or hugging him. Why are you doing this? I always take care of you and you just take it for granted and go off to some other guy. There's only so much I can take."

By now, Luna had gotten over her shock of being accused of flirting and was trying really hard to hold in her anger. Too bad she never really could control her emotions.

"You're saying that I **_flirt!_**" The girl practically hissed. "Rey! All I have been doing with him is studying! Is it a crime to get to know someone at the same time! What's wrong with making friends! Plus…if you would stop assuming things, you would know that whenever I'm with Tai, I usually talk about you! You would know that **_I don't like him like that!" _**Luna jumped to her feet, causing the others to turn their attention to the arguing pair.

"Then explain why you're always hugging him or running off to go study! I don't even think I trust you anymore. Everything I want to believe that you still care about me, the thought goes flying out the window when you prove me wrong by…by…**_clinging _**to him!" Rey had also stood up and had an irritated expression.

"**_Clinging! _**I did not cling! And on another note…am I not allowed to be nice to anyone anymore? Plus who cares if I hug them! I hug Kira, Athrun, and Shinn just as much!" Luna narrowed her eyes. The three boys shrank back when Rey took the time to send a death glare at them. He turned back to his fuming girlfriend with equal anger.

"If that's your definition of being nice I don't want to know what you being friendly is! I won't just sit back and ignore the fact that you're using me while being interested in other men!" Rey heard a few of his friends gasp at his words. They were harsh and he wasn't even sure if it was true but he felt really angry at the moment and wasn't thinking straight.

Luna paused, looking hurt, but her expression changed to something deadly. "I can't believe you! How dare you say that! What are you accusing me of! Just because you're jealous doesn't mean you have to say such things! When have I ever been disloyal to you? You're just acting like a spoiled brat Rey Za Burrel!"

Rey and Luna were only vaguely aware of the others trying to calm them down.

"O-ok guys…let's just talk about this without yelling…" Lacus said gently.

"Yeah…there's no need to yell like this." Cagalli added looking worriedly between the arguing pair.

Rey ignored their words. "I have a reason to be jealous! You've barely talked to me all week…it's almost as if you're pushing me away!"

"I was busy with school! You said you understood!" Luna shot back getting frustrated with his lack of reasoning.

"Yeah…busy with flirting! I don't even know why I bother! You always were so outgoing…I wasn't sure whether you really cared about me or not cuz you always got friendly with everyone. Hell…even on the Minerva, half the crew thought you liked Athrun!"

Luna opened her mouth to object. "I was only trying to be nice! No one else was willing to make friends with him!"

Rey ignored her comment. He clenched his fists tightly. "That's a great excuse, Luna! You must like to be **_nice _**to guys often, huh?" He continued when Luna bowed her head, body tense. The others looked on, shaking their heads at amount of hurt the pair was inflicting on each other.

"Why couldn't you be shy like Stellar or Meyrin? Why couldn't you be loyal like Lacus and Cagalli? You're always so…eager to meet new people and I don't know why! Is it because I'm not good enough!"

The others braced themselves for Luna's reaction. Rey just did the worst thing possible to a girl. To compare a girl to another while pointing out the latter's better qualities was a big no no. Boy was he in for it now. Not that the blonde coordinator really cared. He was too busy losing his temper because of all his pent up emotions.

"You…" Luna bent down and abruptly stood again, confusing the others. The next thing that happened shocked everyone. Luna pulled her arm back and **_threw_** a rather big looking strawberry straight at an unsuspecting Rey. It hit him right on the forehead and bounced off. Rey blinked a bit and then glared.

"That was childish."

Luna growled then exploded in rage. "I don't care anymore! Nothing will get it into your **_thick head _**that I **_never _**flirted with Tai or anyone for that matter!" At every emphasized word, Luna threw another strawberry, which caused Rey to put his hands up to block the incoming threats. The angry girl had good aim.

"**_First_** you accuse me! **_Then_** you say you don't trust me! And now you want me to change my personality so you don't feel **_insecure_**!" Luna kept pelting Rey with strawberries while the others stared with wide eyes.

"Er…Luna…why don't you stop throwing the strawberries…it won't make things any better." Shinn took a step towards his friends trying to stop the madness. It had gone on long enough.

"Quiet Shinn! You don't know how angry I am!" Luna, so caught up in her anger, threw a strawberry at the approaching boy, causing him to stumble back a bit. Those things hurt when threw hard enough. Stellar ran up to Shinn and asked if he was ok. He nodded and massaged the spot that got hit. He hated to see his friends fighting. It just didn't feel right.

The enraged girl finally ran out of fruit and stood panting from yelling so much. Rey wiped off strawberry juice from his forehead and made a face.

After regaining her breath, Luna looked Rey straight in the eyes and said, "I've never been this insulted in my life…" And with that she turned around to walked away.

Rey spoke to her back while trying to hide his hurt. Slowly he ran his hand through his hair and made a decision that he knew he would regret later.

"This can't work. It's obvious that we don't know each other as much as we thought we did. So feel free to do what you want…I…I won't care if you flirt with other guys. We aren't meant to be together if that's the case. I don't want to hold you back." He said the last sentence bitterly.

The magenta haired girl paused, letting the words sink in, eyes widening slightly. He was breaking up with her? Sure, they had fought before in the past, but never had Rey even mentioned separating. _This hurts too much…I want to object but I can't do anything if he wants to break up. It's his choice…_

It was no use trying to defend herself anymore…after all she had been doing it the whole argument and Rey didn't want listen. Luna turned to face with a bitter smile that rivaled his.

"If you would get over your insecurities, you would have realized my true feelings."

The magenta haired girl turned and walked away. If Rey had been standing where the others were, he would have saw the look of confusion and pain flash across her face along with her teary eyes which threatened to spill. But Luna was too proud to show her weakness and held it in for the time being.

The others looked torn at what to do. Rey and Luna were always a stable couple which rarely had any troubles. It seemed almost surreal that the two would separate so abruptly.

Rey stared at Luna's retreating back, letting her final words sink in. _My insecurities, huh? It's hard not to be insecure when your personality is so attractive to others…but that's not the problem now, is it? You won't have to worry about me interfering and I won't have to worry about losing you… since it already happened…_

……_**End of Chapter…..**_

**AN: Yes…I know…really dramatic. Please don't throw things at me. But hey…I mentioned earlier that there would be some. Sorry to all you ReyxLuna fans out there…but I wanted some drama between them. Don't worry…there are still many chapters to see what will happen! **

**Another thing to note…Isabel is out of the picture, for the time being! But don't worry! She will be back! **

**And where did the missing money go two! What will happen between Rey and Luna? How does their break up affect the others? What happened to all the wasted strawberries! These questions will be answered in future chapters! **

**Look forward to the next chapter! **


	11. Reminiscing

**Note: Hello! Wow…it's been almost a month since I last updated! I'm sorry for the delay…I just had trouble trying to see how I wanted to write the next chapter! Thank you all soooooooooo much for the reviews! I am forever grateful! Please take the time to review this chapter too! **

**O yeah…I'm also sorry to all the ReyxLuna fans! Ahah but it had to be done. Please don't hate Rey either! All will work out in due time! **

**Oh…a few of you asked whether I will add other characters from Seed and Destiny…for now I don't think so. It would be weird and rushed if I just suddenly put them in the story…although I might have some visit for a short period. I doubt it though. Ten main characters is plenty to write about. Haha **

**Anyways…thank you all once again for the much appreciated reviews! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny. **

Cagalli stood outside the Athha estate, dressed up and impatient with worry. She wore a pair of formal black pants with a pretty light green blouse with a dark green jacket. The princess noted that she wasn't forced to wear a skirt this time…but that was the last thing on her mind.

As Cagalli waited for her friends to get ready and meet outside, she thought about the events that happened that afternoon.

_Rey and Luna broke up…_

Just the thought of it seemed unreal. Cagalli frowned when she thought of the intense argument which resulted in Luna walking off and crying in the car while Rey stood on the hill and stared off into space. The blonde princess hated it when her friends fought. It tore her apart. It was like Luna forgot how to smile and Rey didn't want to talk to anyone.

She started pacing around the drive way and thought about what happened after Rey broke off the relationship.

…_**flashback…**_

Luna walked off towards the car with a wounded look, desperately trying to hold back her tears. Rey stared at her retreating back with a grim expression. He thought about what she said earlier.

"_**If you would get over your insecurities, you would realize my true feelings." **_

Rey closed his eyes in thought. _What did she mean by that? I don't understand…I…I thought that she would be ok with this…I'm not in her way anymore…_

Rey's thoughts were broken when he felt a sharp pain on his cheek. He opened his eyes and was shocked to see that Cagalli had slapped him.

"C-Cagalli!" Athrun's eyes widened and he pulled on her arm, ready to scold her for her impulsiveness.

"You're lucky I didn't punch you."

Cagalli let herself be pulled back but didn't break eye contact with Rey, who had a hand on his cheek and a startled look on his face. Lacus wore a concerned expression and looked back and forth between Rey and the direction that Luna walked off too. She grabbed Kira's hand to get his attention and kissed his cheek before taking off after the magenta-haired coordinator. Meyrin and Stellar followed suit, while Tai, Shinn, and Kira decided to stay.

Before Meyrin left, she glanced at Tai and saw that he looked troubled. His face was set at a frown. He looked sad and she was sure there was a hint of guilt. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Stellar nudged her arm to make her walk.

Back on the strawberry field, Cagalli looked at the blonde coordinator seriously.

"I'm sorry for hitting you, but I think you deserved it. You and Luna are both my friends and I've always respected you…but today you were just so insensitive that someone needs to smack some sense into you. Now…I'll admit, I'm not an expert in relationships and I've made some mistakes in the past as well, but that doesn't mean that you had the right to be so...harsh." Rey flinched when she said that word.

Athrun put a hand on Cagalli's shoulder. He knew that when she mentioned mistakes, she was talking about when she rejected him. She looked back at him and smiled slightly.

Shinn decided to speak up. "Guys…give Rey a break. It's not completely his fault. I mean…Cagalli…you know what it's like to be jealous. It's not a happy feeling. Rey acted on his emotions. I know what it's like to do that…sometimes people do things without thinking when they're stressed. But Rey…you didn't need to break up with her. You two could have worked things out."

Athrun spoke up. "I agree with Shinn. Breaking up was unnecessary. And now, Luna's hurt and I'm sure you are too."

Rey stayed silent and looked at the ground while absorbing what they were saying.

"No…I think Rey was right to break up." Everyone looked up in shock at Kira's words.

He sighed and walked up to Rey while putting a hand on his shoulder.

"How could you say that?" Cagalli demanded.

Her brother just offered a small smile. Then he returned his attention back to Rey. "It was obvious that things weren't going well. You should take this time to sort out your feelings and think things over. Like Luna said…you need to get over your insecurities. Once you do that, you will understand her and your connection will be stronger."

Rey thought for a bit until he finally nodded to Kira. He then turned to Cagalli. "Thank you. You're right…I did deserve that slap. But I still think I needed to break up with Luna. It…just…wasn't meant to be. I can't…understand her and I don't think she really understands me either. Until we do…we can't be together." The blonde coordinator sighed and walked off in the opposite direction that Luna ran off to with his head bowed and a sad frown on his face.

Cagalli sighed. She understood that what Kira said made sense, but she really didn't like the idea of Rey and Luna not together.

She glanced back at the others. "I'm going to go find Luna." Before she ran off, Athrun grabbed her hand making her stumble back into him.

He lowered his lips to her ear and whispered, "Don't let your temper get the better of you, ok? It's a delicate situation…but I trust that you can cheer Luna up."

Cagalli only registered half of what he was saying. She was too busy blushing when his warm breath brushed over her ear.

"Er…y-yeah ok…no temper…got it." It took all her will power to break out of the embrace to go to Luna and the others.

………………

Cagalli found Luna crying while surrounded by Lacus, Stellar, and Meyrin in the car.

Lacus was patting the girl's back in an attempt to comfort her. "It's ok, Luna. Don't worry…things will work out. You both just need time to cool off."

The magenta haired coordinator said nothing. She stared out the window as her tears ran down her cheeks.

Stellar handed the girl a tissue and offered a sad smile. Meyrin looked at a loss, unsure of how to approach the situation. She gingerly reached out and patted her sister's hand.

"Lacus is right. You both just need some time off."

Cagalli started to say something but stopped when Luna looked up at them with the saddest expression she had ever seen on the usually cheerful girl.

"W-was I a b-bad girlfriend?" She asked in a quiet voice, hoarse from the yelling she did earlier. "…did I flirt unintentionally? Did I ignore him? Am I not good enough? I…I'm not like any of you…he said he wished I was like you all….I guess I'm not loyal or modest or shy…"

Cagalli frowned at this assumption. Luna's heart broken voice showed how much Rey's words affected her. _I should have punched him… _

"No…Luna, don't believe those words." Cagalli said loudly. "He was just angry at the time. He didn't mean it."

Luna shook her head sadly. "When people act on their emotions, they say what they truly feel. He must have has these thoughts before."

Meyrin felt like crying when she saw the state her sister was in. Luna had always seemed so assured of herself before. Now, her usually confident demeanor vanished and left her acting like a lost child. _She really does love Rey, doesn't she? Even if Tai likes her, she would have never left Rey for him…I should have seen it before. Why was I so jealous when I knew that Luna never returned his feelings? Now her heart is broken because Rey failed to see the same thing. Argh! Stupid jealousy!_

Luna continued to stare out the window. She watched as Athrun and Kira carried a few crates of strawberries towards the car after paying for them.

"Luna…Rey loves you. I have no doubt in my mind. He was jealous and that shows that he cares." Lacus tried to reason with the girl.

Luna snapped her head to face the singer, her voice filled with confusion. "Lacus…tell me then…when you love someone, do you disregard everything they say and accuse them! Do you hurt them in the worst possible way! Do you say the harshest things and wish that their personality was different! Do you break up with them after refusing to listen!" By now, Luna was half yelling and half sobbing. Athrun and Kira had put the strawberries in the trunk and rushed up to the open door when they heard her yelling.

Stellar stopped them from asking questions by putting her hand up to shush them. Lacus grabbed more tissues and handed them to Luna.

Cagalli sat next to the crying girl and hugged her. "…I don't know. Love is strange. In a way…you're right. I hate to say it… if Rey trusted you; he wouldn't have jumped to conclusions. But Rey wasn't completely wrong…he acted that way because you never had time for him. It hurts when someone you love pushes you away."

Luna leaned into the blonde princess's shoulder and cried. The last thing she mumbled before she fell asleep from exhaustion was,

"I…don't think I can forgive him…it hurts too much…"

When Rey came back, twenty minutes later, the sleeping girl missed his look of confusion and regret before they all boarded the car and drove back to the Athha estate.

…**end of flashback…**

Cagalli kept pacing back and forth, her mind filled with those thoughts of sadness that her friends felt. She really didn't like this. _Luna and Rey always helped me when I needed it. Luna's one of my best friends and Rey is also a good friend. They both were so deserving of each other…at least that's what it seemed like…until recently. _

Caught up in her thoughts, the blonde princess failed to hear someone calling her. She felt herself run into something…or rather someone.

"**_Gah!" _**

"Cagalli!" Athrun steadied his pacing girlfriend when she ran into him. He honestly thought she would notice, considering he had called out to her multiple times.

The blonde princess smiled sheepishly and scratched her hair. "Er…sorry Athrun…I guess I kinda tuned everything out."

"No kidding." Athrun sighed when Cagalli resumed her pacing. "You know…worrying like this won't help a bit."

Cagalli stopped pacing and bit her thumb in worry. "What am I supposed to do then?"

Athrun sighed. "You let things work out for themselves. If it's meant to be then Rey and Luna will get back together, if not then they won't."

Cagalli looked offended and emphasized it by placing her hands on her hips. "So you're saying that if they don't get back together, then it's ok! Geez Athrun Zala…I didn't know you were so insensitive!"

Athrun smiled at her lively personality. "Cagalli...that's not what I meant. You just have to trust that things will work out and they will be happy together or apart."

"I guess so…"

Cagalli relaxed her expression and looked up at the sky, which was splashed with orange and pink because of the sunset. Every now and then she snuck a glance at her boyfriend who was enjoying the sunset as well. _I'm really lucky that Athrun's so understanding and patient. I'm glad he doesn't get frustrated or angry whenever I'm stubborn or throwing a tantrum. He's always there for me too…Geez…I never thought I'd love someone so much…_

"You know…staring is considered rude."

Cagalli blushed as Athrun looked at her in amusement. _Damn him for always catching me off guard. _

The blonde princess covered her embarrassment with anger and narrowed her eyes.

"You purposely like to embarrass me, don't you?"

Athrun laughed and held his hands up in defense. "I was just kidding, princess. I'm actually glad you like to check me out." He said the last sentence teasingly and winked at the flustered princess.

Cagalli gaped at him. **_"W-what! _**Check you out! I can't believe you just said that! I **_do not_** check people out!"

Athrun grinned. "Are you sure about that? You were staring at me for an awful long time."

The blonde princess turned a nice shade of red. She screamed in frustration and lunged at her laughing boyfriend, who anticipated the move and easily dodged. This started the game of chase.

"I swear Athrun! You can be so immature! When I get my hands on you…"

Athrun ran towards the estate and saw Kira and Lacus come out. Both looked puzzled at the scene before them.

Kira looked at his best friend. "Athrun? What did you do this time?"

The said boy ducked from Cagalli's punch. "All I did was tease her!" He then proceeded to run behind Kira and use him as a sort of shield. Lacus had wisely stepped to the side.

Kira's eye's widened as he saw Cagalli rushing towards them.

"You idiot! Don't use me as a shield! What kind of friend are you!"

"You're one to talk! A good friend would help me out! And if being a shield helps me out, then yes, that's what a good friend does!"

By now, Cagalli had gotten over her annoyance but was enjoying their little game. She rushed up to Kira and Athrun, who were both still bickering about the value of their friendship.

"Out of my way, Kira!" Cagalli yelled as she roughly shoved her startled brother aside while laughing at his wide-eyed expression. She then turned her head to see Athrun running away towards Shinn and Stellar who had just emerged from the front door.

The blue-haired coordinator ignored their curious looks.

"Help me!"

Shinn had a humorous look that said 'what the hell?' while Stellar giggled at their behavior.

Athrun dodged another attempt by Cagalli to clobber him and ran behind Shinn who looked completely confused.

The blonde princess grinned at her boyfriend as if accepting his challenge of trying to beat him. He, in turn, raised an eyebrow as if saying that she couldn't reach him because Shinn was in the way.

Cagalli moved left. Athrun, upon seeing that she was attempting to run around the messy-haired coordinator, moved right.

Cagalli moved right…Athrun moved left. She moved left and he moved right. This went on for a few minutes until Shinn started to get dizzy.

The blonde princess finally got fed up and tried to punch Athrun from the side, but the boy moved causing her to hit Shinn on the shoulder.

"**_Ouch! _**What was that for!"

"Sorry! I was aiming for Athrun!"

"Well…you're aim is pretty off! Next time- **_ouch!" _**

Shinn was silenced when Cagalli socked him in the arm. "Your aim is really off!"

Cagalli laughed. "No…I did that on purpose."

The poor boy looked scandalized.

Athrun, realizing that the princess was occupied, dashed around the pair and ran back towards Kira, thinking that he could get away. His best friend's eyes widened and tried to warn him, but it was too late. Athrun made a startled noise when he felt something heavy land on his back, thus causing him to trip and fall on the grass near the side of the estate.

Apparently Cagalli had noticed her retreating boyfriend and sprinted after him. When she was close enough, she jumped on his back resulting in both of them falling. She ended up sitting on Athrun's back. Not a very comfortable position for the blue-haired coordinator, if you ask me.

Athrun groaned and spit out some grass that made its way into his mouth. He tried to get up, but Cagalli forced all her weight on him.

"Cagalli, I surrender! Now let me up…"

The blonde princess grinned triumphantly and shifted her weight a bit.

"No I think I like my new chair. This'll teach you to embarrass me." Cagalli started humming as she picked out pieces of grass that found its way into his blue hair.

Athrun was starting to fee very uncomfortable. (Hey, you would too if someone was sitting on you!)

"Er… can you please get off of me?"

"No…I don't feel like it."

Athrun sighed, reached back and grabbed her legs. With one fluid motion, he pulled making her fall back so that her weight was off of him. (AN: Is anyone confused? I am too so don't worry).

Cagalli screamed as she landed on the grass with a thump. How had Athrun gotten out of that hold so easily? _Stupid soldier training. _

She blinked when Athrun's face came into view. He was kneeling beside her while peering down at her face.

She found herself laughing. "Ok…you win."

Athrun helped her stand while smiling widely. "No…I think it was a draw."

"Ok…it was a draw."

They shook hands jokingly and smiled at each other.

"You two sure know how to act like kids." Both turned their heads to see their friends who were smiling in amusement.

Tai, who was the one that spoke, shook his head in exasperation. The blonde princess and blue-haired prince both scratched their heads in embarrassment.

Lacus giggled softly. "You two will never change, will you?"

The group made their way to the cars. Cagalli, upon noticing that Rey and Luna were missing, asked Meyrin quietly where they were.

The red head whispered back to the princess. "Shinn told me that Rey's sorry but he needs to clear his mind so he's staying home. He said he hoped you didn't mind. And Luna was still sleeping so…" She trailed off.

Cagalli nodded. "I understand. Both of them probably have too much on their minds to go out. They have a lot of thinking to do…"

**Scene Change**

Rey stared at the ceiling in his room. At the moment, he was lying on his bed with a blank expression on his face. A million thoughts were running through his head.

**Flashback to the days at the Zaft Academy…**

Rey set his tray of food down at the table and sat down. The sounds of the crowded cafeteria didn't bother him because he sat in the corner where no one else would sit. Sighing, Rey picked up his fork and started to eat. Today was very tiring…they had trained hard and did lots of physical exercises to get into better shape. Although the school (it's not really school…is it? oh well!) year just started, it didn't stop the instructors from making them train until they were literally falling over in exhaustion. Now all he wanted to do was relax and be left alone.

Rey was somewhat startled when he heard a voice that was clearly feminine.

"Is this seat taken?"

The blonde coordinator looked up and his blue eyes met lavender ones. It was a girl, with a friendly smile and short magenta hair. When Rey didn't reply, she shrugged good- naturally and placed her tray down while pulling out the chair.

"I'm Lunamaria Hawke. Since we're in the same class I thought I'd introduce myself. I mean…we're going to be seeing each other a lot so we mine as well get to be friends, right?" She said this with such ease that Rey could only stare.

She took a sip of her drink and looked back up at him. "So, stranger…you gotta name?"

Rey broke eye contact and continued to eat. "I didn't come here to make friends."

She raised an eyebrow. "Really now…well aren't you Mr. Anti-social. Ok…if you won't tell me your name…I'll just call you Stranger."

Rey was starting to get annoyed. No one had ever approached him in this fashion before and he didn't like not knowing what to expect.

"Look…why are you even here? Don't you have some other friends that you can eat with?"

The magenta haired girl shrugged as she took a bit of her food. "Yeah…what's your point? …I'll invite them over. We could use more company."

Rey felt very irritated. What was wrong with this girl? Didn't she know that he didn't want to be around anyone!

Luna turned around and waved towards someone. "Meyrin! Shinn! Over here!"

A shorter girl with red hair tied in pig tails and gray eyes along with a boy about their age, with messy black hair and red eyes came, each holding their own trays of food.

"Hey sis!" The girl with pig tails said happily. The boy just sat down and nodded at the girl in greeting.

Rey heard the pig tailed girl whisper to Luna. "Who's that?"

Luna cleared her throat. "Stranger, this is my younger sister Meyrin and my other friend, Shinn Asuka. I'm sure you've seen him around…he has the same classes as us."

Indeed, Rey had seen the quiet teen that always seemed to be in a dark mood, except when he was around that Luna girl and her sister.

Meyrin looked confused. "Er…nice to meet you, Stranger…what an odd name." Her eyes widened when she realized how rude she was. "Ohh! I'm sorry…I mean...it's a unique name…yeah…" The girl finished lamely.

Luna giggled at her sister's flustered face. Rey felt that he really liked the sound. Wait a minute…who cares if she giggles! Why would he like it?

"No, Mey…It's not his real name. He won't tell me, so I'm calling him Stranger."

Meyrin blushed in embarrassment and started to eat. After a couple minutes of silence, Luna spoke up again in a joking tone.

"I guess I have a knack for making friends with quiet and 'troubled' people huh?" She looked at Rey with a grin. "You see, Shinn's pretty quiet too…not to mention a trouble maker. He always goes against authority. That's why I'm always looking out for him."

Shinn rolled his eyes at his friend. "You wouldn't leave me alone. So in a way…I was forced to be your friend." His words weren't harsh, but held some sort of brotherly affection.

Luna stuck her tongue out and threw a piece of carrot at him, which he caught and popped in his mouth.

"Is that a nice way to talk to your elder?"

Shinn snorted. "You're only a year older." He pointed out. Luna was about to reply but Meyrin interrupted.

"Both of you stop. Swear…I'm younger than both of you and I still act older."

"You do not!"

"You liar!"

Rey watched the three interact with interest. He had never seen people act so comfortable around each other. Luna looked across the table and caught his eye while Shinn and Meyrin were arguing about who was wiser.

She smiled and winked, startling the blonde coordinator. Her behavior was so eccentric. One moment, she was cheery, and the next, she was sly and cunning. This girl puzzled him to no end.

When they finished eating, all four got up to put their trays away.

"I'll see you later, sis. I have a computer class soon." Meyrin said. "Er…nice meeting you, Stranger. We should all have lunch together more often." Rey nodded as the younger girl ran out of the room to catch up with a group of other people who were walking towards the computer labs.

"See ya Luna. I'm going to the shooting range for a bit." Shinn placed a hand on her shoulder. He then looked at Rey. "I warn you…she can be annoying sometimes. Save yourself before she dubs you her friend."

Luna yelled in mock anger and slapped the boy on the back of the head. Rey saw him grin, something that he rarely did, and walk out of the room.

The magenta haired girl turned back to him and blew her cheeks out in anger. Rey found it to be an extremely cute expression.

"Well, Stranger. I gotta go get ready for class. I'll see ya around." She turned to walk, but then whirled around to face him again. "Oh…and about what you said…about you not coming here to make friends? Well…tough…you already have one. Actually…you have three now. So deal with it." She grinned and walked towards the door, but stopped when a voice called out.

"Rey….my name's Rey Za Burrel."

The magenta haired girl nodded. "It suits you…better than being called Stranger. Well, Rey…I'm glad to know that you accept my friendship. You can never go wrong with making friends."

Rey watched as she left the room. He let himself smile slightly. _Such a strange girl…_

…**End of flashback…**

Rey sighed at the memory. From then on, he had eaten with the three and gotten to know them. They all became his friends. Friends…something that he never thought he would bother to have.

As time went on, Rey learned that Meyrin was a very happy and childish person who loved to shop. Shinn was distant and quiet, but once he trusted you, he was loyal and even liked to joke around. Luna….she was the one who first went up to him. Rey couldn't describe the feelings he felt around her. She was so outgoing and easy to talk to. He loved her because she was the person that he felt most comfortable around. Luna was the one person that Rey felt like he had to protect. But now…he had no one to protect…no one to look after…

_Was this what I really wanted? Are things better now? Why do things have to be so…confusing! _

_I broke things off despite the fact that I still love her… _

**Scene Change**

The group rushed out of the cars with umbrellas. Apparently, the weather forecast had predicted rain and Lacus, being the responsible person that she was, brought umbrellas.

"Cagalli, dear!" A woman around the age of sixty with warm brown eyes smiled at the blonde princess like a grandmother would. "My…you look even more beautiful than I last saw you! Maybe a little on the skinny side…have they been feeding you?"

Cagalli laughed as she hugged the somewhat plump older woman. "Mona! You say this every time I see you! I've been eating well…it's good to see you."

Mona Warrington smiled happily at the blonde girl. "Cagalli…We've missed you. Thomas always mentions how he misses you're company. It's such a shame that you've been so busy!" She then noticed the group of people that had been observing the reunion with interest. "Oh my! Please forgive me for making you all stand out in the rain like this…why don't you all come in and introduce yourselves! My husband, Thomas, is waiting inside."

Cagalli felt herself smile at the woman's loving personality as they all stepped in to the nicely furnished house. In a chair next to the fireplace sat a man around the same age as Mona. He had a head of white hair and looked like a typical grandpa. He smiled widely when he saw Cagalli and stood while taking off his glasses.

"Is it who I think it is?"

Cagalli laughed and gave the man a hug. "Tom! I've missed you!"

He in turn ruffled her hair affectionately. "You've turned into a beautiful young lady…so tall and sophisticated! But I know you'll always be a child at heart." Mona rolled her eyes at her husband and went to stand next to him.

"Please do sit, my dears! We can't have you standing around all day." The group complied. Cagalli sat next to Athrun who grabbed her hand.

"Let me introduce everyone. This is my boyfriend, Athrun…my brother Kira and his fiancé Lacus." She gestured towards her brown haired twin and the pink haired singer who said their greetings in return. "This is Shinn and his girlfriend Stellar." The pair smiled at the elderly couple. "And the red head is Meyrin and sitting next to her is Tai." Meyrin waved a bit and Tai saluted jokingly. Tom laughed and saluted back.

"Everyone…this is Tom and Mona Warrington…close friends of my father."

Lacus gave a warm smile. "You have a lovely house, Mr. and Mrs. Warrington. It seems so calm and inviting."

The plump woman laughed happily. "Oh please, call us Mona and Tom. Warrington seems so formal."

"Plus, it makes us sound old." Tom added jokingly.

Cagalli gestured to the table where a box of delicious looking strawberries sat. "We picked them today for you so they're pretty fresh. It'll be good for dessert."

Mona clapped her hands together. "Thank you very much! They do look very tasty. But first of all I need to finish preparing dinner. It's Cagalli's favorite…Spaghetti with garlic bread and fresh salad. It won't take long. Please just make yourselves at home."

Stellar started to get up. "Would you like some help?" Lacus and Meyrin also asked.

Mona grinned. "Sure! A kitchen is a ladies domain after all. Come now, you too Cagalli. Last time I checked there was some girly attributes in you. But then again…you can't cook to save your life."

Cagalli mock protested. "I cook okay."

This caused the others in the room to burst out laughing.

Shinn grinned at the indignant princess. "The day Cagalli can cook a decent meal is the day that Meyrin picks up dancing, Stellar starts singing, and Lacus learns computer programming."

Meyrin's eye's narrowed. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I can't dance, Stellar can't sing, and Lacus can't work with computers?"

Stellar raised an eyebrow at her flustered boyfriend. "Is this really what you think, Shinn?"

Shinn's eyes widened, realizing his predicament when all three girls pinned him down with their stares. Cagalli could only smirk while Kira, Athrun, and Tai shook their heads at his stupid move. The poor boy was cornered.

"You set yourself up for this one."

Shinn scratched his head and laughed nervously. "Er…no! I never said that…I just…uh…um...heh…"

Tom chuckled at the boy's obvious discomfort. "Just keep quiet while you can. Talking never helps. Women always find ways to get you in trouble no matter what." Mona shook her head and playfully slapped at her husband.

"That's not true. Men usually are the ones who act foolish. Like Cagalli said…they bring it upon themselves." Mona stood and gestured for the girls to follow. "Let's go get dinner ready and let the gentlemen talk amongst themselves."

Lacus gave Kira a small kiss on the cheek before leaving. Stellar mimicked the gesture and giggled at Shinn's look of embarrassment from before. Cagalli turned at Athrun with her eyebrow raised.

"I guess we don't wanna be left out, huh?" She then leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek before pulling away. She suppressed the urge to blush as he stared at her silently. "I'll…er…see you at dinner." And with that, Cagalli scrambled up and ran after the girls. Tom and Mona didn't miss this interaction and smiled knowingly.

_So…the princess is in love…interesting…_

_**Scene Change**_

Luna slowly woke from her nap and found herself in the room that she shared with Meyrin. She looked over to the side and found her sister's bed empty. Outside, she heard rain pattering against the roof and windows.

Memories of what happened earlier that afternoon came back in a rush and she felt an ache in her heart.

Sighing, the girl got up and decided to find the others. If she spent time with her friends then she wouldn't have to think about anything. They could take her mind off of Rey…

_Stupid Rey! Why couldn't he understand! That stubborn idiot! _

Luna gripped the door knob tightly in her anger, her face tense. But slowly her grip loosened and her face softened to one of sadness.

_Yeah…too bad I love the idiot… _

Luna slumped against the door with her back resting on it. She then leaned back and closed her eyes in thought.

_Maybe I shouldn't have gotten so mad…I mean…I was spending a lot of time with Tai. …wouldn't I get jealous if Rey did that with some girl? _

She smiled bitterly.

_But Rey's not as outgoing as I am…I would have known that he wasn't interested by his demeanor. I can tell that he cared a lot about me. He was always trying to take care of me…What have I done for him? …Nothing really…All I've done was be myself. _

She lifted her right wrist and looked intently at the bracelet that clasped around it. The piece of jewelry was simple but elegant and made of platinum. A ruby stone in the shape of a small heart dangled from it. It glistened in from the light of the moon that shown through the window.

_The bracelet that Rey gave me when he asked me to be with him… _

**Flashback…**

It was lightly raining as Luna walked down a busy street in Orb. The war had been over for a few months and everyone was finally starting to settle down. Luna, Meyrin, and Stellar recently started attending the university which was the reason why the magenta haired girl was in her uniform. The rain kept falling and unfortunately, she forgot her umbrella. Short skirts and thin blouses didn't help much either. The girl cursed under her breath as she shivered. She asked herself for the hundredth time that day why she decided to stay late and study, thus causing her to miss the bus. Meyrin was probably already at home all nice and warm while cooking a delicious meal. Lucky her.

Suddenly, it started to rain heavily. She needed to get out of the rain or she would catch a cold. The magenta-haired coordinator ran as fast as she could to the nearest place that would shelter her from the rain.

Luna quickly pulled open the door to a store and ran in. A gush of warm air greeted her and she sighed in relief. _I guess I'll just have to wait out the rain in here…_

Looking down, she saw that her whole body was soaked and her clothes clung to her figure. Luna grimaced as she felt her dripping wet hair cling to her face. Boy did that feel uncomfortable. Looking around, she noticed that she had run into a music store. There were all sorts of instruments along the walls.

The girl was driven out of her thoughts when he heard a soft and sweet melody sound throughout the room. A_ piano…it's so nice sounding…_

As if in a trance, Luna took a step towards the sound, intent on finding who could create such a wonderful tune.

As she walked around a guitar stand, she gasped. It was a small area cleared out with couches and coffee tables. In the middle was a beautiful black concert piano and sitting there was Rey Za Burrel.

The music stopped.

"Luna?"

The said girl jumped and stepped forward. She looked guiltily at the puddle of water that she stood in.

"Er…Rey! Uh…yeah it was raining really hard outside so I kinda tried to find a shelter. Sorry for making everything wet." She then fished out her hanker chief and kneeled down trying to wipe the floor dry. It proved to be rather useless considering that the cloth was already soaked because of the rain. All she was doing was moving the water around.

Luna heard the scrap of the piano bench against the floor and quick footsteps. Rey kneeled in front of her and stopped her from wiping by grabbing her hand. Luna felt herself blush. Why was she blushing? This was Rey…she knew him since their days in the Zaft Academy. They had fought together in the war. He was a treasured friend whom she knew for a long time…so why was she blushing like a school girl?

…ok maybe it was because she really liked him, but that was besides the point! Yes…the magenta haired coordinator found her developing deep feelings for her blonde friend. She didn't even know when she started but all she knew was that she felt so happy around him.

Rey helped Luna stand. "You need to get dry and warm or you'll catch a cold."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Geez Rey…you act like a mom. I know that…why else do you think I ran in here?" She then playfully shook her head, causing droplets of water to hit him. She laughed as Rey grinned at her behavior.

"Lighten up, would you? You don't need to be so serious all the time. It's me you're dealing with. You don't need to hide your true self behind that stiff façade. Cuz I can see right through you Rey Za Burrel!" She winked at him jokingly as he shook his head in exasperation.

He then looked at her in the eyes causing the girl to feel self conscious. There was a brief silence in which they stared at each other until finally he spoke.

"You're right…I don't have to be serious all the time…especially around you."

Luna felt herself hold her breath. He smiled at her and brushed away her wet bangs.

"You're the one who brought me out of my shell…gave me a reason to live…For some strange reason…I can act completely relaxed around you."

The magenta-haired girl's eyes widened. "…Rey?"

The blonde coordinator laughed quietly at her cute expression and reached over to his bag where he kept his sheet music. He pulled out a long velvet box and held it out to Luna, who took it hesitantly.

"I was planning on asking you out to the fanciest restaurant in town…bringing you a dozen red roses…and then giving this to you. But I figure that all that materialistic stuff doesn't matter. Just as long as I get my point across."

Luna slowly opened the box and gasped when she saw a beautiful bracelet inside. Rey found himself smiling at her. He waited for her to hug him and give her thanks…hell even a kiss on the cheek would be rewarding. What Rey didn't expect was a sudden pain on his cheek.

"Rey! Are you crazy! This thing must have cost a fortune! I don't deserve this! How could you waste your money on me!"

Rey touched his cheek and looked at the frantic girl. He could tell that she was flustered to no end and chuckled at her outburst.

"You know…you didn't have to slap me. Here I was…trying to say that I love you by giving you a gift …Boy…love hurts."

"We are going to go right back to the jewelry store and-" Luna stopped her ranting and stared. "You…love me?"

"You're slow today, aren't you?"

The girl narrowed her eyes at him.

"You know…sometimes I wonder why I'm the only person that you tease."

"I would think that it was obvious." Rey grinned uncharacteristically. He reached over and put the bracelet on her wrist.

As the reason dawned on Luna, she smiled brightly and lunged at the blonde coordinator, giving him little time to react.

"I can't believe it! Rey loves me!" She let go of him and started to dance around happily.

Rey watched in amusement. "I'm still here you know."

Luna mock glared at him. "Oh shut up and let me enjoy the moment. The guy I love loves me back!"

Rey laughed loudly. "Ok...enough celebrating. I'll take you back to your apartment so you can change for tonight."

The magenta haired girl paused and looked at him utterly confused. "What do I need to change for?"

"Can't a guy take his girlfriend out for dinner?"

Rey grabbed her hand and moved towards the door.

Luna grinned. "Sure he can! As long as the food's good!"

The newly formed couple walked out into the rain happy with each others company.

**End of flashback…**

Luna sadly fingered the bracelet. She was still sitting against the door with the lights off. _Those were good times…we were so carefree and happy. Too bad good things never last…_

The girl sighed as she watched the rain mesmerized by the fact that the best and worst days of her life was when it rained.

Stellar nodded and grabbed four and handed them t

**Scene Change**

"Alright ladies! Let's get down to work! There are some more aprons in that drawer over there." Mona said this as she tied her own apron.

Lacus nodded and took out four more aprons, handing three out to her friends.

"Ok…I'll work on the sauce. Lacus, dear, can you cut these mushrooms?"

The pink haired singer nodded and giggled. "It would be an honor, Mona."

The elder woman smiled in approval. "Now…Stellar…why don't you work on the salad? Just cut and wash the lettuce. Meyrin I want you to work on the garlic bread. Put the slices in the oven after putting the garlic spread on."

Meyrin saluted jokingly as the three girls got to work. "Ok captain!"

Cagalli grinned at her friends' silly behavior. "What do I do, Mona?"

She blanched a bit. "Hum…good question…let's see…can't trust you with the meat…or the noodles…don't wanna let you near the stove…heaven knows you can't work it…"

"Hey! I can hear you, you know!" Cagalli placed her hands on her hips while the others laughed.

Mona suddenly brightened. "Why don't you take out the drinks? Then after, you can work on the sauce while I watch. All you have to do is stir."

Cagalli shrugged as she moved towards the fridge. "Sounds easy enough."

The kitchen was soon filled with giggling girls and laughter as they talked about…well…everything.

"It's so wonderful how you all have boyfriends!" Mona said happily as she handed Cagalli a spoon to stir. "Ah…to be young and in love again."

"Er…I don't have a boyfriend." Meyrin mumbled while blushing slightly.

The elderly woman raised an eyebrow. "Really…you mean you aren't in a relationship with that purple haired young man?"

Meyrin sighed sadly as she cut the bread. "I wish…"

Stellar tried to comfort her friend. "Don't worry, Meyrin. I'm sure Tai will like you once he gets to know you."

"I dono…what with all that's been going on…I doubt he even thinks about me."

Cagalli watched as the younger girl looked down sadly…but then she shook her head as if trying to snap out of a trance. "But it's not a big deal. I mean…there are more important things going on."

Mona looked at the girl and smiled. "Just don't give up. Love is a tricky game…but if you never attempt to play, you'll never know if you can win or not."

Meyrin smiled slightly.

"Let's talk about other things." Lacus said trying to change the subject.

Mona nodded and then turned to Cagalli with a glint in her eye. The blonde princess shrank back in defense. She didn't like that look.

"So Cagalli…you have a loving boyfriend now? You must tell me all about him! My goodness…our young princess is growing up!"

Cagalli groaned as the other three girls giggled.

"You seem to…glow with happiness…there is a distinct change since the last time I saw you. It must be because of …Athrun is his name right?"

Cagalli nodded in embarrassment. "Yeah…that's his name…"

"Spare me no details Cagalli! I want to know all about your relationship with him! As your grandmotherly figure I think I have a right." Mona said this with an amused expression on her face as she watched the blonde princess stutter about her relationship not needing to be discussed.

It was going to be a long night…

**Scene Change**

As Cagalli was being flustered from embarrassment in the kitchen, Athrun found himself in a similar predicament. He sat on the couch along with Kira, Shinn, and Tai as they faced Tom Warrington. Kira opened his mouth to strike up a conversation but was cut off by the elderly man.

He adjusted his glasses and looked at them warily…no wait…he looked at **Athrun **warily.

"Let's just skip to the point. Athrun, is it? Now…as you know, I care for Cagalli like a grandfather would. She is considered family. That is why I feel it as my duty to make sure she is happy and treated with respect."

Athrun shifted uncomfortable. He didn't like where this was going. He saw that Shinn was uncharacteristically quiet. Kira scratched his head lightly as Tai coughed into his hand. Yep…they were all uncomfortable.

Tom startled them by changing the topic. "So do you boys like hunting? I enjoy the sport very much… I have a few guns stacked away. It's been my hobby for thirty years and although I'm not one to brag…I'm **_pretty _**good at it."

Athrun scrunched his face in confusion. He didn't like where this was going. Although the elderly man posed no threat to him, he still gave off an air of…authority and intimidation. Somehow Athrun didn't want to get on his bad side.

"Anyways…I'm going to ask you a few questions. Nothing serious…I'm just trying to make sure that you are good enough for Cagalli. She's a very sweet girl and I don't want her troubled."

Athrun felt a drop of sweat run down his neck. Although he knew that Tom was a nice and good guy…this talk was still bound to be awkward and very traumatizing. The older man could stare longer than anyone he knew and Athrun found himself avoiding eye contact.

Tom cleared his throat and narrowed his eyes. "What are your intentions with Cagalli?"

Athrun tried not to choke as he coughed into his hand. The others give him sympathetic looks as they tried to offer help but found that they couldn't.

_Oh boy…_

…_**End of Chapter…**_

**Note: Well! There you go! I tried to give some ReyxLuna to make up for the last chapter! Sorry for the numerous flashbacks! Haha O yeah..poor poor Athrun and Cagalli. I felt like torturing them! I hope you all liked this chapter! I tried to add humor and drama…I'm not sure if it worked. scratches head**

**Anyways…I have a slight idea of where I wanna go with this fic. Once I finish with the ReyxLuna drama…I might move onto a different couple before I go back into the whole plot with the missing money and Isabel. No I haven't forgot about her. haha she's just…pushed to the side for a bit. **

**Please review! It helps motivate me to write! Until next time…bye! **


	12. Midnight Conversations

**Note: I'm SOOO sorry for the long wait! I really am…it's just that I was busy with other things. Please forgive me…I tried to make this chapter long to compensate for my time gone. Haha anyways…please review once you're finished. The reviews motivate me to write more. Thanks for your support and please enjoy this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny. **

Athrun had often faced many stressful and dangerous situations in his life….oh…war would be a good example….but never had he been so nervous as he was now sitting in front of Tom Warrington…aka the interrogator. Ok…it wasn't as dramatic as it sounded, but for poor Athrun, he felt like there was a spotlight shinning on him. The elder man's steady gaze never wavered. Kira, Shinn, and Tai sat nearby, just as uncomfortable with the situation. They feared the worst for their blue-haired friend.

"What are your intentions with Cagalli?"

"……….."

Athrun's eyes widened. The question was so blunt. What **_were _**his intentions with Cagalli? _Intentions? Is this a trick question? Why is Kira looking at me like I'm about to get hung! _

Athrun cleared his throat, the ever intimidating stare of Tom still present.

"Er…ahem…I uh don't understand the question…" He avoided eye contact and scratched the back of his neck.

Shinn and Kira sighed as Tai placed his hand on his forehead and whispered, "Bad move…"

Tom narrowed his eyes. "Let me elaborate. How committed are you with Cagalli? I hope this isn't just some sort of **_fling…" _**

Athrun looked confused. He opened his mouth to reply but was cut off.

"Because if it was a fling…I would be very unhappy with your relationship. You see…even though Cagalli has a strong and fierce spirit, it can still be easily broken. Despite what she says, her fragile heart is often hidden by her tough appearance."

Athrun stared at the man in front of him. He was right. Cagalli often hid her emotions with her tom boyish and tough façade.

"Now, I am sure that you are a great person, Athrun, but I must tell you…if **_anyone…_**mistreats her in **_any _**way, they will have to answer to me. And it won't be pretty."

Tom leaned forward and narrowed his eyes as Athrun shrank back and tried to disappear behind Kira.

The brown haired coordinator cleared his throat and laughed nervously.

"You…er…have a really nice house, Tom. I…uh…really like the--"

Poor Kira was cut off on his horrible and rather pathetic attempt to change the subject. Athrun had to give him points for trying though.

"I'd like to set a few ground rules for you. Don't worry…it'll be really simple."

Athrun could only stare in disbelief as the man in front of him cleared his throat and sat up straighter. _Rules? Did I just hear him correctly! _

"Rule number one: I do not want you disrespecting Cagalli in any way. That means no looking down on her, no treating her like a servant, and **_no_** harassment." Tom stared at Athrun's shocked and somewhat confused face. "Is that understood?"

The said boy wisely stayed quiet and nodded his head slowly as Shinn, Tai, and Kira looked on with wide eyes. It was like an adult telling a child what and what not to do.

Tom sat back with a satisfied expression. "Good. Ok…Rule number two: You will take the relationship slowly. No rushing into anything and doing things to be regretted. No impulsiveness will be needed. Slow and steady is the way to go. Let Cagalli set the pace of your relationship. I will not have you coming onto her. She is still young and innocent. Ok?"

Once again, the blue-haired coordinator nodded slowly, the back of his neck sweating somewhat from the intense stare of the older man. Boy, was he demanding. Take it slow with Cagalli? He could do that…after all, he did wait a long time to be with her. There was no need to rush…they had their lives ahead of them. Athrun figured he could follow this rule. But it still freaked him out how intimidated he was.

"Great. Alright rule number three: your feelings for Cagalli and your commitment to the relationship will be serious. You will not leave her hanging. You will be her emotional support and help her every way you can. Is that clear?"

For the third time, Athrun nodded slowly. He always tried to be the shoulder for Cagalli to lean on and he was sure that she tried to be his. After all…the framed photo she gave him said as much. (AN: If you don't remember, look at Ch. 8).

"Perfect! Just remember those three golden rules and everything will be fine. One more thing…" Tom narrowed his eyes and Athrun gulped. "If I **_ever _**find out that you've mistreated Cagalli…I will **_hunt you down._** This is a warning to you. I love Cagalli like a granddaughter and there is no way that I'll let her heart be broken. Is that understood?"

Athrun felt himself losing his voice from the pressure put on him but thought about the rules that Tom had set for him.

"I understand." Athrun finally said and Tom sat back with a smile.

"That's good to know. I'm glad that you know the rules to follow."

Athrun shook his head. "I said I understood…but I wasn't talking about the rules…"

The blue haired coordinator sat up straighter, ready to explain as Tom raised an eyebrow. Shinn shook his head in exasperation and mumbled something about never talking back in these types of situations.

"I said that because I understand where your protective feelings of Cagalli are coming from. You see, I feel the same way. I would give my life to protect her. I know this because love makes people do crazy things. She has helped me out in more ways than one and I don't think I could ever repay her. Everyday I try to show Cagalli how much she really means to me. You don't have to worry about me leaving either. I'll stick by Cagalli's side forever as long as she's happy."

Athrun looked at Tom with a serious expression. Kira threw his best friend a smile realizing that Tom's eyes were wide with shock at how much Athrun loved Cagalli. He had no doubt in his mind that his sister was in good hands.

Tom got out of his shock and asked Athrun wonderingly, "You love her, eh?"

"Of course I do. It's hard not to." Athrun smiled at the though of his princess. "There's just something about Cagalli's personality that attracts me to her…her determined spirit, her fiery attitude, her strength, her moments of vulnerability and weakness…everything. No one has ever affected me so much that I feel like I always have to be there for her. So even if you set these rules for me, it makes no difference. I've been following them on my own."

The group of men sat in silence for a bit as they waited for Tom's reaction. The older man blinked a bit and his mouth, which was open in shock, soon turned into a grin. That grin formed into a smile and soon a hearty laugh was heard throughout the living room.

Tom laughed loudly as the other stared at him. He wiped his eyes and chuckled until it subsided. He then got up and walked towards Athrun who got up as well. The blue-haired coordinator looked nervous.

"Athrun…I must say, when I first met you, I had my doubts. But now I realize that if I were to pick someone to watch over Cagalli…you would be the perfect candidate!" Tom offered his hand and shook Athrun's happily. The younger man grinned back slightly and scratched his neck.

"T-that's good to know." Athrun said as they took their seats once again.

The atmosphere of the room had lightened up once Athrun had passed the "test." Kira, Shinn, and Tai found themselves grateful that it hadn't been them in that situation and were impressed with how it was handled.

Tom smiled at the group. "Let's talk about something less…stressing, shall we? Tell me, how have you all been since the end of the war? It nice to see that you have rebuilt your lives…I assume you are all very happy."

And with that, the five men launched into a generally light-hearted discussion about the past years and what they hoped for in the future. Tai was just about to explain his days in Rutherland when the door to the kitchen busted open and out came a wide-eyed and panicked Cagalli…heading straight for Athrun, who was surprised to no end…

_**-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+**_

…**..while Athrun was having his talk with Tom….**

"Spare me no details Cagalli! I want to know all about your relationship with him! As your grandmotherly figure I think I have a right."

Cagalli stepped back in fright as Mona grinned widely. Lacus, Stellar, and Meyrin giggled at the woman's lively personality and waited expectantly for her answer.

"Er…what is there to talk about? It really isn't a big deal." Cagalli mumbled as she busied herself with stirring sauce on the stove. A tint of pink was on her cheeks which didn't go unnoticed by the older and wiser woman.

"No big deal? My word, Cagalli! Of course it is! You are in a serious relationship. Now…be a good girl and respect your elder's wishes." Mona winked at the others as Cagalli's face faulted.

Lacus smiled happily, thoroughly enjoying Cagalli's torture. "Don't be so shy. We all know how much you two love each other."

Meyrin decided to speak up. "Yeah Cagalli…your relationship with Athrun is so cute! I think it's adorable." She sighed had a far away look on her face. The others could tell that she wanted a relationship like that.

Mona turned her attention back to the overwhelmed princess. "Don't leave us hanging, dear. Tell us all about him! He looks like a gentleman. I'm sure he treats you as such too."

Cagalli nodded shyly. "I guess…yeah Athrun's a true gentleman. He treats me like I'm a princess."

A chorus of "**_awwwwww!" _**rang out in the kitchen and Cagalli felt her left eyebrow tick. This was getting really girly.

"Geez…you guys make it seem like we're some kind of fairytale."

Stellar giggled as she tossed the salad. "But it is! You're the beautiful princess and he's your knight in shining armor!"

Cagalli blushed when Stellar called her beautiful. _Me? Beautiful? _

"Ohhh! Now she's embarrassed!" Meyrin teased as she slid the garlic bead into the oven to bake.

"What! I **_am_** not!"

Meyrin dodged a bread stick that was thrown her way and stuck her tongue out at her fuming friend.

"Calm down. I see you haven't changed much…still short tempered as ever. I wonder how your boyfriend handles it." Mona said, amusement evident in her voice.

Lacus smiled. "Athrun handles it really well…better than any of us. Cagalli's usually subdued and well mannered when she's around him. I guess you could say he **_tamed _**her."

Cagalli sputtered in defiance. "T**_ame? _**You make me sound like an animal!"

The pink haired singer laughed and winked in the blonde princess's direction, showing that it was all fun and games. The girl, in turn, pouted at being ganged up on.

Mona took out the salad dressing for Stellar and affectionately patted Cagalli on the head.

"Well, despite the fact that you still act childish, I'd say that you've matured some...as well as become a tad bit more feminine. My little princess is all grown up; with a boyfriend and everything!"

"Mona!" Cagalli whined, embarrassed. "Do we have to talk about this?"

"Yes, we do! It's really interesting to see how you've grown and I want to know what I've missed since I last saw you. So tell me, where did you two first meet?"

The girl blanched as she paused in her stirring. Lacus held in her laughter, knowing exactly what the answer would be.

"Uh…on an island."

Mona clapped her hands together in delight. "Ohh! So you were on vacation at a resort and met by chance on the beach? How lovely!"

Lacus burst into a fit of giggles as Cagalli coughed into her hand.

"Actually it was a remote island, and believe me, it was far from a vacation resort. It was during the war and my mobile suit got shot down, much like his. We were both stranded with no one to count on but each other." A small smile played on her face as she remembered the memory. "We were on opposite sides so naturally, we attacked each other. He thought I was a boy…until I screamed, that is."

Stellar and Lacus giggled while Meyrin grinned at Cagalli's dreamy expression. Mona stared at the princess with a contemplative look.

"Well, being the gentleman that Athrun is, he stopped when he realized I was a girl. Of course I wasn't your average girly girl and didn't back down. But I realized that I obviously wasn't going to overpower him. We went to a cave and stayed the night…both on opposite sides. When I though he was asleep, I took his gun and aimed it at him thinking that it was the right thing to do. I…being overly stubborn and rash, decided not to shoot him and in my frustration threw the gun. Athrun was quick enough to cover me but he got hurt in the process."

Cagalli sighed and smiled slightly as she stirred the sauce. The others stopped what they were doing and stared at the princess; it was clear she was in love.

The blonde princess grinned. "Of course, I was stubborn and didn't want to be indebted to him so I helped wrap up his injury. We parted the next day; each going to different sides, but not forgetting the experience gained…"

Cagalli trailed off and looked up from the sauce. Her face faulted and she snapped out of her revere when she found four pairs of eyes staring at her in awe.

The said princess was rather freaked out. "W-what?"

Mona, who had unshed tears in her eyes, smiled widely.

"Cagalli! Don't you see it? You're in **_love_**! That was just so touching…I'm very happy for you."

Cagalli could only stare in bewilderment. "Am I that obvious?"

The four women giggled. "**_YES!" _**

Lacus came forward and grinned as Cagalli backed into the wall, trying to get some space between her and their intense enthusiasm.

"You shouldn't be embarrassed, Cagalli. Athrun loves you too. I can see it tore him apart when he couldn't be with you, but now he's so happy and content with life; all thanks to you." Cagalli noted how Lacus didn't mention her rejecting him and was grateful for it. She figured it was a big mistake on her part. Luckily, it was corrected.

Mona smiled at the girl. "I think you are happier with life, as well. Your demeanor shows your contentment. This is good to know. I was beginning to wonder when you would start acting more ladylike and get into relationships."

Cagalli huffed and crossed her arms childishly. "You tease me too much."

The other three laughed loudly and continued with their cooking. Mona broke the silence.

She threw a sly glance at Cagalli.

"So, what else is there about you and Athrun? How far have you two gone?"

Cagalli, who was taking a drink, sputtered and sprayed it out.

"**_E-excuse me!" _**

Mona sighed and wiped the counter clean. "Don't be embarrassed, dear. It's no secret what people do when they are in relationships."

Stellar nodded. "It's no big deal. I'm not afraid to admit that I kiss Shinn." Her cheeks turned a bit pink but she held her head high. "It's really nice when he catches me off guard with them."

Meyrin giggled. "Shinn was always impulsive like that, not to mention unpredictable. His first Gundam said as much."

Lacus joined in on the conversation. "There's no shame in talking about this Cagalli. It's actually kinda fun!" She then had a cute thoughtful expression as she tapped her chin with a finger, in thought. "Kira is so sweet and gentle. He knows when to hold me and when I need a hug. It's like he knows what I'm feeling. I love being with him."

Cagalli grinned. "That's Kira for you. A big softie!"

Lacus giggled. "I think it's adorable!"

Meyrin decided to butt in. "Ok Cagalli, spill. I want to know all about your **_intimate _**moments." She winked, clearly finding pleasure in embarrassing her blonde friend.

The princess hesitated but gave in when she saw their happiness in talking about the subject. _Oh what the hell…I'll humor them. _

"Well…after I met with Athrun on the island, he was always in the back of my mind. I saw him again after I thought Kira was dead and tried to knock some sense into him. From then on, I realized that Athrun was not just a soldier…but a boy, confused and saddened by the war and what devastation it brought. Eventually we ended up fighting on the same side; for the same cause. I guess…after I found out that Kira was my twin, I realized that my connection with him was because of it, and that my true feelings were slowly inching towards Athrun. It was when he left to see his father, who at the time wasn't very agreeable, that I saw how much I really liked him. I worried constantly for his safety. Well…he got back with a slight injury and I was relieved. At the time, it was obvious that Lacus and Kira had a close connection. (At the sound of this the pink haired singer's smile widened). Athrun told me that his engagement with her was off…and I felt so happy. It was around that time that he told me that he would protect me no matter what. Then he kissed me…"

Cagalli trailed off looking dazed, but her eyes suddenly widened when she realized what she said. A deep blush made its way to her face.

Meyrin sighed and rested her chin on her hand. "That's so sweet."

Stellar giggled while leaning against the counter with her arms folded. "You look love-struck, Cagalli."

Mona grinned. "So you've kissed already, huh?"

The blonde princess nodded shyly and avoided eye contact. This was too much. Talking about feelings was one thing, but talking about intimate actions, like kissing, was another story!

The elder woman looked at her slyly. "Have you done anything past that?"

"**_NO!" _**The others laughed at a very flustered Cagalli.

Mona mock sighed. "Such a shame…I would think that you'd get married and have children soon. I wish to be a godmother after all…"

If Cagalli's eyes could widen anymore than they were, they would have.

"M-married! C-children! We only just got together!"

Lacus placed her hands on her hips and leaned forward with a catty smile that Cagalli never knew she possessed...it sort of reminded her of what Luna would do (when she was in better spirits of course). "But you've known and **_loved _**each other for much longer than that."

"She's got you there." Stellar added quietly, amusement evident in her voice.

Mona laughed lightly and smiled at the girl. "It is obvious that you love the man and he loves you back. Really dear, must you be so shy? I mean…what's stopping you from moving to the next--"****

Cagalli, who now resembled a tomato, cut off her older friend with a scream, knowing exactly what she was implying.

"**_AHHH!" _**She then covered her ears and ran out of the kitchen towards the living room, chanting,

"I can't hear u...I can't hear you!..."

_Girl talk is wrong on so many levels! …It's way too scary for me to handle…_

_**-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+**_

Athrun had been having a good time chatting with his friends about their lives and was actually relaxed since Tom's "questioning." He was interested in hearing about Tai's days in Rutherland and what the country was like, seeing as they still didn't know much about the guy other than the fact that he was a good person, but was interrupted when he heard screams in the kitchen, followed by quick footsteps.

The door flew open to reveal a flustered and very disheveled Cagalli, wearing a pink and white polka dotted apron…her hair sticking out at odd angles, while covering her hears with her hands.

She then ran towards him and the blue-haired coordinator felt his eyes widen when he saw that she wasn't going to stop.

The said girl ran and **_jumped _**onto her shocked boyfriend so that she now resided on his lap with her arms around his neck and face pressed into his collarbone. Everyone stared at the pair.

Seconds later, the four other women came in, protesting at Cagalli's sudden departure. They paused when they saw where she was.

Athrun slowly turned his head to look at his princess. "C-Cagalli? What's going on?"

She just turned bright red and mumbled some incoherent things before pressing her face closer to his neck, causing the boy to have a tint of pink to his cheeks.

"What happened?" Shinn questioned; perplexed with the recent events.

Stellar walked up to him and smiled. "Girl talk."

"Ohhh." That explained everything.

Athrun was about to ask Cagalli about the situation but he froze when he heard a distinct clearing of the throat. Slowly, he raised his eyes to meet those of Tom Warrington, who mouthed, **_rule number 1. _**

Everyone watched curiously as Athrun paled and unceremoniously shoved Cagalli off his lap while jumping up in fright.

"Athrun! That hurt!"

The said boy laughed nervously while throwing nervous glances at Tom. Only the three other boys knew what was going on and couldn't blame their friend, who was still laughing nervously even has he helped Cagalli up.

"What was that all about? Why did you push me off!" Cagalli fumed as she glared into her boyfriend's slightly embarrassed face.

"Er…you see…the thing is…uh…" he tried to explain himself but, thankfully was cut off by Mona's voice.

"Dinner's ready! Shall we eat?"

Lacus smiled cheerfully. "That sounds like a good idea. The food looks delicious!"

Everyone got up and filed toward the dining room. Before Tom left to follow, he looked at Athrun and gave him a nod with a satisfied look. Finally, it was only Cagalli and Athrun left in the room.

The blonde princess crossed her arms and turned to face a different direction, still angered by her boyfriend's action.

Athrun, glanced at the door to see that everyone had left before walking closer to his girlfriend.

"Cagalli…"

"What!" She snapped back.

Cagalli almost jumped when she felt Athrun grab her hand. It was a simple but very sweet gesture and she found herself staring at him. He had a small smile on his face and Cagalli had to stop herself from blushing at his intense look.

"I just wanted to say that…I'll always be your shoulder to lean on."

Cagalli's mind raced. "…like it said on the picture frame I gave you…"

_Why is he bringing this up all of a sudden? _

Athrun nodded, his hand still firmly holding hers. "I just had a conversation and I realized that I'm willing to do everything for you."

Cagalli ducked her head to hide her blush. _Why is he so…affectionate today? Man…If he keeps this up, I think I'm going to permanently turn red! _

"Uh…I--"

Athrun grinned at her flustered face and gently pulled on her hand before interrupting her.

"Come on. Let's go eat. The others are probably waiting."

Cagalli opened her mouth as to say something but stopped and nodded. As they entered the dining room, (Meyrin was chasing Shinn with a breadstick, while the others shook their heads in exasperation), Cagalli made eye contact with Athrun and both smiled, feeling happy and grateful for such an interesting life together.

**_-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+_**

A door within the grand Athha mansion slowly opened. The clock on the wall read midnight and the place was silent. The figure slowly poked their head out to scan the area. With the coast clear, said figure tip-toed stealthily towards its destination. Down the hall way, it crept until it reached the right door and silently opened it. The figure snuck into the room and turned its attention toward the queen sized bed where a sleeping figure lay.

Athrun Zala slept peacefully, or so the figure thought, as it snuck for a closer look, but froze when a calm and slightly amused voice said,

"Cagalli, what are you doing out of bed?"

The blonde princess blanched and sighed in defeat. She pouted childishly and held her hands behind her back in an innocent manner. _Should have known Athrun was a light sleeper. _

"I just wanted to see if you were awake so we could go have a midnight snack together. I couldn't stop thinking about that delicious looking chocolate cake Mona gave us."

Athrun sat up and rubbed his eyes sleepily, his hair sticking out at odd angles, but despite this fact, he still looked adorably handsome.

"I could use some cake." Was all he said before he got up and grabbed a pair of pants. Cagalli turned around when she saw he was only wearing boxers and a t-shirt. Once his pants were on, the pair quietly headed towards the kitchen.

Cagalli nearly felt her mouth water when she saw the very yummy looking cake, with layers of chocolate frosting, sitting on the kitchen counter. Athrun took out two glasses and the milk carton while she went to work on cutting two big pieces.

As soon as everything was set, the pair pulled sat on the stools next to the counter and dug in. Cagalli took a big bite and closed her eyes in bliss.

"Mmmmmmm."

Athrun laughed at her behavior. "Mona's really good at cooking. The dinner was great."

The evening meal with the Warringtons had gone well with light-hearted conversation and many jokes and stories. Before they left, Mona pulled Cagalli aside and told her that she thought Athrun was a wonderful person for her and that she wished them the best of luck. She finished off their talk by handing Cagalli a delicious chocolate cake.

Athrun stared at his princess as she took rather big bites of her cake…each time closing her eyes in happiness. Though he had to admit, the cake was good.

The pair was interrupted by footsteps.

"Cagalli, Athrun…I see you came down for the same reason."

Cagalli looked up to see Lacus and Kira, both in their pajamas, with smiles on their faces.

Athrun got up and grabbed two more glasses for milk while Cagalli cut her brother and future sister-in-law some cake.

"Tonight's dinner was very interesting. I enjoyed it. It helped to take my mind off of the sadness that happened earlier today." Lacus said this with a gentle and concerned look. It was obvious that now that they had returned from the night of fun, the reality of the drama between Rey and Luna returned.

Cagalli sighed. "Oh yeah…I guess spending time at the Warrington's took it off my mind too. Not only the problems between Rey and Luna…but also the problems with the Peace and Reconstruction committee."

"Things will work out. I have faith in Rey and Luna, as well as in you, Cagalli. No matter what problems come your way, you'll always find a solution to it. We are always willing to help too." Athrun said this before taking a bite of the cake and grinning at its taste.

"Thanks. Everyone's help is always appreciated. I'm expected a report on the investigation sometime this week. Maybe it'll help clear things up."

Kira drank some of his milk, before turning to his sister. "Let's not talk about these stressing things. It's midnight…we came here to enjoy a snack."

Cagalli stuck her tongue out at her brother who took his spoon and stole some of her cake to lighten the mood.

Athrun shook his head at their display but was amused, none the less. They were interrupted when yet another pair of feet were heard making its way towards the kitchen.

"Rey?"

Indeed, it was the former top Zaft pilot who stood before them, looking rather pathetic. The others were shocked as they had never seen the blonde coordinator in this state. Although he still held an air of seriousness and intellect, Rey was looking pretty down with a crumpled shirt and loose sweat pants. He seemed in a daze and was only registered that there were people in the room when Kira said his name.

He nodded in response and moved towards the cabinet to get a drink. But Cagalli, being the spirited and fiery person that she was, spoke up.

"We have some really good chocolate cake from my friend's dinner party. Come have some. There's milk here too."

"No thank you." Rey said quietly. He was still well mannered but his voice was hoarse and he looked really tired. He continued to fill his glass with water but was stopped when someone grabbed his arm and forced him into a seat. Rey didn't even bother to protest as he was not up to facing Cagalli's wrath.

The said girl shoved a plate of cake under his nose and Athrun placed a glass of milk next to it. Those two really were a team. Everyone stared at him expectantly.

With a defeated sigh, Rey started to eat slowly. After a while of silence, which Cagalli couldn't stand, she decided to talk to the poor guy.

"So…would like to talk about it?"

Rey blinked and looked up. "Talk about what? The fact that I feel like I got run over by a truck or that my heart was put in a blender?"

Lacus winced at the description but Kira grabbed her hand and offered comfort.

Cagalli nodded. "Talking always makes things better. I think you've had enough time to reflect over everything. Now you should have been able to sort at least some of your feelings out."

Rey started playing with his cake by pushing it around with his spoon. "I admit…I was insecure."

Athrun nodded. "That's a start. But there's nothing wrong with that. We all get insecure at times."

The blonde haired coordinator continued. "I think I overreacted."

Cagalli really wanted to roll her eyes but stopped just in time as he started talking again.

"It was all a mistake…I wish I didn't say those things. They were so harsh. I really hurt her…I hurt the person who I wanted to protect the most. Isn't that ironic?" He laughed bitterly.

Lacus offered a sad smile. "It's not hard to believe. The reason why Luna was hurt was because she loves you. You're words impacted her a hundred times more than anyone else's. But you were both angry and acting on your emotions."

Rey nodded. "I know…but I was so stubborn that I didn't listen to her. I was too busy trying to get my frustrations out by saying how I felt."

"That's not a bad thing. It's always cleansing to release your emotions. Now that you've done that, you can have a chance to think things over." Athrun added in his comment. He wanted to help Rey out. Even though they weren't always the closest friends…he was still a good person. Of course, this was after Rey stopped manipulating people for their loyalty to Zaft. But that was already forgiven.

Rey startled everyone when he let his spoon drop on the plate with a loud clatter.

"All I wanted to do was protect Luna. She was my first close friend since the academy days and I cherished her companionship more than anything. I was blinded by my desire to help the…ex-chairman (Rey hesitated before saying this) but after I saw the truth behind his plans, I knew what I needed to fight for. Before, I never had any friends to care about. But then Luna came and I couldn't deny her friendship…not with her outgoing personality. Shinn and Meyrin were also my friends. I should have never tried to manipulate them! I was so wrapped up in it that I forgot how valuable their friendship was to me. But after…I couldn't forgive myself. Luna was the first person who did and I don't even think she knows how much that means to me. That's why I wanted to protect her so much. She forgave me when I had yet to do so! But look what happened…I just turned into a jealous, over-protective, idiot!"

Rey emphasized his point by banging his fist on the counter.

There was a moments silence before Cagalli spoke up.

"True…you were a jealous, overprotective, idiot…but you're actions were justified. You acted on your desire to always be there for her. You wanted to make sure that she still needed protecting. You were insecure about where you stood…whether you were still needed or not."

Kira nodded at his sister's words. "She's right. You were scared that you wouldn't be needed anymore if you found that she liked someone else. You would have felt like you lost your reason for living. We all feel like that. The ones we care for are such a big part of us that we feel a strong connection with them. When that connection is threatened…you act irrationally."

Rey took in their words. "Yeah…that's how I felt. But now I know that it was stupid of me. Just a few study sessions means nothing compared how close I am with Luna. I'm so comfortable around her that I can stop being all serious and unemotional. She makes me so happy because I know that she'll never judge me when I stop that façade. I know you guys won't either…but I trust Luna with everything that I am."

The others smiled in understanding. All of them knew that Rey was completely in love.

"Well! I think it's time then!" Lacus said cheerfully, startling everyone.

Athrun raised an eyebrow. "Time for what?"

The pink haired singer grinned happily. "It's time for Rey to do something about this and get back together with Luna!"

Cagalli smiled. "Yeah…I think one day apart is enough to make both of you miserable."

"Agreed." Athrun said jokingly as they started to clear the dished.

"We'll help you, of course." Lacus added as she saw Rey look uncertain. "Don't worry…it'll all turn out. It's obvious that you want to fix things. Just tell us what you have in mind and well assist you."

Rey nodded…still doubtful but determined to say sorry to Luna and sort things out.

"Thank you…I really appreciate you're help."

Cagalli waved her hand in the air as to brush off his formal apology. "No worries! That's what friends are for! Now…let's get to work."

Rey smiled…the first genuine smile in a while since his jealous days and was grateful for his friends. And with that, the group started planning what would be in store for Luna. Boy was she in for a surprise!

-+-+-+-+-**_Scene Change-+-+-+-+_**

Meyrin couldn't sleep. The red head had returned from the happy dinner at the Warrington's to find the room she shared with Luna empty. Thinking that maybe she decided to get up and take a walk, Meyrin went to bed. It was now past midnight and she still hadn't returned. The younger Hawke sister started to worry…what if Luna did something drastic? What if she wasn't in the house at all? Hastily, Meyrin got out of her bed and went out to find her missing sister.

_If I were Luna, where would I go? _

Meyrin decided to go check out the living room first…maybe she decided to watch some T.V. Upon finding the room empty, she moved down the hall intent on checking out the other various rooms but a faint light caught her attention. It was coming from the library.

The red head walked quietly and stopped at the doorway, her eyes widened slightly when she saw that it was none other than Tai, sitting at the desk, with books and papers strewn out. The purple-haired boy was highlighting and taking notes from what looked like a textbook. He looked so concentrated that Meyrin was hesitant to interrupt. Despite that, he had a worried and strained expression that showed he was stressed. But…he sure did look cute to the flustered red head.

Tai seemed to sense another presence and looked up. His former stressed look disappeared and he grinned tiredly up at her while setting down his book and highlighter.

"I thought everyone would be sleeping at this time of night." He said as Meyrin shyly took a seat next to him. This would be the second time they were alone together.

Meyrin shrugged indifferently, fingering her shoulder length red hair which was let down from the pigtails that she normally wore.

"Luna wasn't in the room and its past midnight…I thought I'd look for her."

At the mention of the older Hawke sister, Tai looked away with a sad frown.

"Yeah…"

An awkward silence filled the library and Meyrin wanted to kick herself for mentioning it.

"Uh…I'll just get going then…to find her I mean." Meyrin stood up but was halted by a hand on her arm.

"Could I ask you something?"

Meyrin looked curiously at him and slowly sat down. Tai stared at the book and didn't speak, causing Meyrin to get more confused.

"What did you want to ask me?"

Tai snapped out of his revere and gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry…I was caught up in my thoughts. Uh…I just wanted to know how everyone thinks of what happened this afternoon. I mean, the dinner was great and it actually got my mind off of things…but I couldn't sleep. I feel guilty. I never meant to break Luna and Rey's relationship."

Meyrin's eyes widened. He felt guilty?

"It's not your fault, Tai."

"But it is! I can't lie…I was…no **_am _**attracted to Luna. She has a great and outgoing personality…she's funny, caring, and cheerful. I knew she was going out with Rey so I didn't really think that my feelings would be returned." Tai gave a fake laugh and closed the book he was staring at. "Of course, now I **_know _**they'll never be returned. They love each other…I just made things worse. But studying with Luna these past few weeks hasn't helped me suppress my feelings. I donno…I never really shown much interest in girls in Rutherland. The crowd my family associates with aren't really my type…they're really stuck up. Like my cousin, Isabel. But Luna's anything but. Now I feel like I've overstayed my welcome."

Meyrin felt a pang of sadness when Tai mentioned her sister but pushed it aside. Now wasn't the time to get jealous.

"Your feelings couldn't be helped. It's not your fault how you feel…you shouldn't blame yourself for that. The reason why Rey and Luna's relationship split is because of their actions…not yours." Meyrin said this in a calm and steady voice.

Tai sighed and twirled a pencil in his hand. "They were so sad. I feel like I caused it…Maybe if I went back to Rutherland, things will go back to normal."

Tai was shocked when Meyrin slammed her hands onto the table.

"Stop it!"

The purple haired boy could only gap at her.

"Stop blaming yourself when it's clearly not your fault! Why can't you see that this has more to do with Rey and Luna's insecurities than it does anything else! It was bound to happen sooner or later. Going back to Rutherland would just be running away. You came to Orb to study and get away from all the pressures. Weren't you the one who told me that?"

Tai blinked at the fuming red head. In his short stay here, he had never seen her so riled up.

"I thought a law student like you wouldn't be so stupid." Meyrin huffed and crossed her arms. After a few moments of silence, Meyrin was starting to feel uneasy. Maybe she went overboard with her rant. Calling him stupid wasn't a very good idea either.

But then…she heard chuckling.

Tai was laughing at her!

The boy laughed loudly, not caring that it was well past midnight and people were sleeping. Meyrin stared at him until his laughter subsided.

"You know, Meyrin, you can be really forward and outgoing when you're determined. You would make a good lawyer." He grinned causing the girl to blush and look away. "You're right. If I left to Rutherland, it would be like I was running away. Plus…I really like it here…after all, I came here to get away from my problems at home."

Meyrin wanted to ask him about these problems but he continued.

"And even though I still have some feelings for Luna…I understand that she is forever loyal to Rey and that they will hopefully be able to work everything out…I'll just have to push my feelings aside."

Meyrin offered a small smile. "That's good to know…only strong and determined people can do that."

Tai laughed and looked straight at Meyrin, causing the girl to laugh nervously while trying to make her blush go away.

"Thanks for talking with me…I feel a lot better. I really appreciate it."

The red head nodded and smiled. "Er…no problem! It's not good to keep things bottled up. If you need anything else, I'd be happy to--"

Tai cut her off when he placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know…someone as caring and considerate as you will always be there for her friends. I've never really met anyone like that in Rutherland." He stood and gathered his books while Meyrin blinked stunned by the compliment. Sure, she knew she was caring, but the fact that he'd never met anyone like that in Rutherland? That place must have been pretty bad.

The purple-haired exchange student straightened up and grinned at the girl. "I'd thank you some more but I think it would just get boring and old. But this really did help. You're a great person. I'm sure everyone thinks it. Well, I'm gonna turn in. It was a long day. Night."

Meyrin watched as he walked out the door before whispering, "Good night."

_I was happy to help you…but I feel like you have secrets about your past in Rutherland that you're not telling us. Hopefully you'll be able to trust me enough to share them…_

**_-+-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-+_**

Luna shivered involuntarily as she walked around the back garden of the Athha estate. She was wearing a baggy t-shirt and thin pajama bottoms. After sitting against the door of her room and reminiscing about her past memories with Rey, the said girl decided to go for a walk. She couldn't handle sitting in one spot to allow her depressing thoughts to return.

So with the air of a defeated soldier, the once Zaft top pilot sighed as she stopped at a bench within the garden and sat. She stared at the flowers which were illuminated by the glow of the moon. There was nothing she could do to make things better, was there? What was done was done.

_I'm such an idiot._

Yes, the magenta-haired coordinator had been feeling intense regret ever since she remembered those happy memories. The feeling was so great that it even gave a slight ache to her heart. But, no more tears fell. She was past crying…an emotional pain lingered.

Regret…a familiar emotion to the girl. She had experienced it before. During the war, some of her actions were regretful…like not seeing the truth behind it all. She turned a blind eye to the corruption until she was snapped back into reality by non other than her friends who once served on the Archangel. Luna had Meyrin to thank as well…her sister was more mature than most people thought. She convinced Luna to fight for a cause and it helped her to realize the truth of the war. From then on, she knew who she had to fight with in order to gain peace.

Shinn was also someone who Luna was grateful for. He was like a best friend to her…a brother even. He was so hurt and confused during the war. Too many emotions plagued his mind causing him to be easily manipulated. Even though that was the case, he was still able to comfort Luna when she thought she lost her sister. After all, he was just as confused with what was going on and knew what it was like to have loved ones die. They became better friends from then on both looked after each other with affection that siblings share. Luna was grateful for his companionship and was overjoyed at how happy he was to be with Stellar, the blonde dancer who mended his heart.

But Rey…he was a different person before. Sad to say, during the war, Rey was the one doing the manipulating. His reason for fighting was the immense loyalty to the ex-chairman Gilbert Dullindal. Luna could not lie…at one point, she followed him as well…taking orders obediently like a soldier would. Only, she was able to question him as was Shinn. Rey, on the other hand, took more convincing. He was so loyal that he failed to realize everything. A good smack to the face by Luna followed by the intense discussion that followed, helped snap him out of it. Oh…that and eavesdropping on the ex-chairman's planning too.

But needless to say, Rey made up for his actions and Luna couldn't be happier. If only life were fair and let them stay together. But things weren't always that simple. Emotions always made things get out of hand.

She was broken out of her musings when someone called her.

"Luna!"

But it wasn't the voice she longed to hear…it wasn't Rey.

The girl looked around to find the source of the voice of one Shinn Asuka, but failed to see anyone. She even stood and squinted.

"Up here!"

Luna looked up and almost smiled at the sight. There stood Shinn, clad in black sweat pants and a baggy looking red shirt, hair messy as ever. He waved a bit and grinned at his close friend, trying to lighten her depressed mood.

"I was wondering where you went! Hold on, I'll come down. Stay where you are!" He disappeared back into his room and Luna smiled slightly, trying to stop herself from rolling her eyes. Did he expect her to run away? He could be so childish at times.

A few moments later, Luna heard rushed footsteps and looked up to see her friend with an additional jacket on while carrying another more feminine one. The magenta haired girl raised an eyebrow at this as he offered it to her.

"I didn't know you were a cross dresser."

Shinn mock glared as he sat down next to her.

"It's Stellar's, obviously. I went into her room and borrowed it. It looked like you were cold."

Luna smiled gratefully, but it still seemed forced. When she realized that he wasn't speaking, she decided to initiate a conversation. Luna couldn't stand silence…even when she was feeling down.

"What are you doing up so late on your balcony?"

Shinn shrugged. "Couldn't sleep. I usually can't when I'm worried about my friends. What about you? What are you doing out here in the cold? It might be summer, but today it rained. Are you trying to freeze yourself?"

The magenta haired girl shook her head, but mumbled, "Maybe it could numb my pain away."

Her coordinator friend heard this, of course. "Let's talk." He said as he stared up at the moon. "I know you need to…you always like to talk out your problems. You don't handle keeping your emotions in, well. So talk…and tell me what you're thinking."

Luna couldn't help but grin at how well her he knew her. He wasn't always the childish and somewhat whiney person that people thought him to be. He was mature and serious when the time called for it.

She sighed and shifted a bit while pulling the jacket closer. "Well…when I woke up from my nap I thought a lot about our past. How I met Rey…what I thought of him…and I also thought of when we first got together. Of course, that made me feel bad so I decided to come out for a walk." She turned to her friend who was looking at her with a concerned expression.

"Shinn, I'm feeling regret. It was partly my fault how things turned out. I know it was unintentional…I never purposely flirted with Tai…but I guess it's my personality that makes it seem that way. I thought Rey would know that by now. He should know that I only love him."

Shinn sighed. "Like you said, he's insecure. It's understandable…we **_are_** human. We can't help how we feel. It's not a surprise that your regretting what happened. It's funny; I think the only ones who don't know how much you love each other are yourselves. It's obvious to us that Rey tries everything in his power to look after and protect you, even if you aren't aware of it. And it's also obvious that you want him to be happy."

Luna sighed while taking in his words.

"But you know what I realized? I realized that I…I guess those insecurities he has are apart of him. I'd rather have him act this way than be the secluded and cold soldier that he was before! It shows that I was able to break him out of his shell! That's all I wanted to do. I want him to be more carefree and happy…we all deserve it! And his jealousy and protectiveness just shows that he really did care for me…it shows that Rey can still be an unbearable idiot and that he is still human! It shouldn't bother me a bit! I realized that I love his faults…no one's perfect." Luna brushed a lone tear that made its way down her cheek.

"A-and now…it's gone. I pushed him away, Shinn! I got angry at him for acting normal…for acting like any other person would in the same situation. I-I'm so **_stupid!" _**And with that, the magenta haired coordinator broke down and started sobbing into her hands.

She quieted down when she felt her friend's comforting hand on her shoulder. He waited for her to stop completely before talking.

"You're reaction to the situation was normal, too. You weren't the only stupid one. Rey was pretty stupid for breaking it off and thinking that he was the only one hurting from the argument. I have no doubt in my mind that he regrets the fight just as much as you do. But in a way, Luna…I think it was good that this happened. You both have time to think about your relationship. And look…you already figured out that no relationship is perfect and that it's better that way. It would be way to boring if that was the case."

Luna still felt tears running down her cheeks but felt better none the less.

"And since you've admitted that you're argument was a human thing to do, it's time to move on and fix things." Shinn cut in. He was happy to see that Luna was looking less depressed and more hopeful.

Luna looked hesitant. "W-what if he doesn't feel the same?"

At her timid behavior Shinn started to laugh. Luna was very seldom timid and shy…her cheerful and outgoing personality said as much. _I guess Rey makes her like that. _

"This is Rey we're talking about! The blonde haired, serious and contemplating guy that we know and love!" He paused a bit. "Well…that **_you _**love. Rey's a great friend and all, but my heart's with Stellar."

Luna smiled at his joking manner. "You're such a dork. But…I feel better. Getting it all out of my system really helped. I wasn't too sure of my thoughts and emotions..."

Shinn smiled. "They're perfectly understandable in this situation. The argument is too…all couples fight. It wouldn't be healthy if you didn't. But only strong couples are able to mend and compromise. I think it's time you and Rey saw that."

Luna stared off into the garden, a small smile playing on her face as she thought about his words. Shinn suddenly got up and looked expectantly at his friend as she stood up with a sigh. Together, the pair walked back into the estate, ready to retire to their separate rooms…both with many thoughts to sort out. There were no more words of comfort or thank you's needed. They were so comfortable with each other that Shinn knew Luna was feeling better and that she was grateful for his friendship. Best friends often act like that. And that's what they were…best friends who helped each other out when the other was feeling down.

…_**end of chapter…**_

**Yay! This chapter is finally finished! 22 pages…WOW. All for you guys, too! Once again, please review! I also tried to incorporate humor and drama…not sure if it worked though. Also…all that stuff about what happened during the war is all speculation, which most likely won't happen. I just made up stuff that seemed reasonable and that might happen. Don't quote it or anything. Well…that's it then. Until next time…bye! **

**O yeah…my new fic is out! It's called "Mutual Affections" Please check it out! Thanks! **


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